Forbidden Fruit
by DragonsMistress
Summary: Draco and Ginny have to face the consequences of their secret relationship.
1. Default Chapter

**Forbidden Fruit**

Disclaimer:  J.K. Rowling doesn't seem to fully appreciate the wonder that is Draco, so I thought she wouldn't mind my stealing him for a bit.

Special thanks to the greatest friend in the world, you know who you are, for dragging me kicking and screaming into this fic. I'm having the time of my life!

**Chapter One:**

It was subtle. Very subtle. But Ginny Weasley had trained her own eyes to notice. She smiled to herself and lifted her glass just the smallest amount in acknowledgement. They would meet. Tonight. She touched the cup to her lips, partially covering her face so that she could steal one tiny glimpse of him. Her own forbidden fruit. Forbidden fruit was the sweetest, she'd decided. His sharp pink tongue flicked quickly out to brush his upper lip, and she stifled the groan that rose in the back of her throat. She giggled softly to hide it and was lucky when someone around her had obviously said something funny, making the sound less noticeable to her peers. With a quick, yet somewhat evil looking wink, his attention was once again from her. Finally she felt as if she could breathe normally again. How did he do that to her with one simple movement? She smirked, a trait learned from countless hours of watching him; she knew how. She knew very well.

"Ginny?" Hermione's voice sounded somewhat annoyed, as Ginny finally looked up. "I asked if you wanted help with your Arithmancy tonight."

Tonight. There was no way she would be doing Arithmancy tonight. Oh no. She smiled that sweet, angelic smile that had kept her out of way more trouble at home than she liked to admit and shook her head. "No thanks, Hermione. I reckon I understand it for now. Honestly, I may just lock myself up behind my bed curtains and catch up on some reading." There. The groundwork was laid for her alibi. She wondered, sometimes, how she hadn't been sorted into the Slytherin house. Wouldn't that have been a great surprise to the entire Weasley clan!

The day wore on, heat and anxiety making Ginny's patience wear thinner and thinner, until she thought surely she would burst. All of this for a simple late night snogging session with the campus ass, she admonished herself silently. But she knew better. Something deep inside of her was glowing, red hot, telling her that tonight could very well be different. She was ready. He'd been ready for quite a long time, and tonight, even if she didn't know it yet, she was too. She sat in her last class of the day, knowing that any minute she would receive the notice she'd awaited all day. As if he could read her mind, and lately she wasn't all together sure that he couldn't, the parchment appeared in her lap, folded neatly. Of course it was folded neatly; had he ever done anything halfway? Again, she had to stifle the groan as her mind wandered the wrong direction at such a simple statement. Carefully, she opened the parchment, being certain not a sound was heard or a glimpse caught by the rest of the students. 

_Ginny,_

_I saw you caught my message this morning. You should really be more careful. Your face gives you away like the pages of a book. _

She rolled her eyes; leave it to him to be pompous even in script.

_Same time.__ New place. The _North___Tower__ is far too obvious. Meet me by the Quidditch locker rooms._

As always, there was no signature, and the parchment evaporated without a trace as soon as she was done reading. 

She could hardly sit through dinner. There was something about stew that seemed dull compared to the rest of her night; it was unfair that she had to endure it. She glanced over to her left, out of pure instinct, and found Ron's eyes glued to her. "You looked as if you were off in another world, Ginny."

_I was_, she thought, but smiled sweetly instead. Sometimes, she didn't know what came over her. Maybe it was the constant lack of attention she'd always felt. Being the youngest child and only girl growing up, there wasn't much of her parents' attention to go around. By the time they'd finished properly punishing all of the boys, she was usually left to her own means of finding entertainment. She'd thought that would end once she'd got to Hogwarts. How could it not? There were so many people here; she was sure there would be some that would like her, regardless of her brother. 

Ginny giggled as she saw Luna Lovegood wander into the room. She meandered all the way around the Slytherin table and finally found her own seat. She sat but only briefly. Standing again, Luna passed the Hufflepuffs and Ginny watched as the girl came to a halt directly beside her. She looked up expectantly only to find Luna didn't seem to notice where she'd stopped. "I bet the sunset will be pretty tonight." She gave a dreamy sigh before turning and wandering back to her own table, as senselessly as she'd come. 

Ginny heard her name being called again and turned her head to the side, all previous thoughts racing from her mind. They had to. If anyone ever suspected... She shook the thought from her head and looked up to see Harry this time. Why was everyone bothering her today? "Yes?"

"Will you be coming to Quidditch practice tonight?"

She thought she heard a hopeful tone to his voice and almost burst into laughter. He answered what must have been an amused look on her face with a confused one of his own. Again, she did her best to put on her angelic smile. "I'm sorry, Harry. I do so love to watch you play, but I've got a date tonight." 

She watched as he sputtered and coughed his apology. _That'll teach him to ignore me for months on end_, she thought, but then the repercussions of her words hit her, full force.

"A date?" It was Ron, as she should have suspected. "Who with? Colin? Neville?"

_Draco Malfoy_. She wanted to scream it, just once. She wanted to see his reaction. But she knew better. "With my books," she laughed, "weren't you two listening when I was talking to Hermione not two minutes ago?" They both looked appeased, for now. Though it galled her to no end to have to lie to them about something that should have been her choice, she knew it was for the best and let it go.

~*~

Draco sat back in his usual chair, watching the orange and blue flames crackle in the fireplace. Tonight. It wasn't an earth shattering thought to know he'd be with a girl; after all, she wouldn't be his first. But she would be his most worthwhile conquest. First of all, he thought to himself, she was a Weasley, only daughter of his father's biggest enemy. Second, she was Ron's baby sister. Overprotective Ron's baby sister. Wouldn't that be sweet? Then, there was the best reason of all; she wanted him as much as he wanted her. This fact alone was going to make tonight great. There wasn't pretense of some random girl liking him for his money, or his power, or his good looks... well, maybe that. But Ginny didn't care about any of that. Draco liked that. He could be a pretentious prick, and she'd laugh at him. He could let down his guard and be the bumbling mess that most boys his age were, and she'd keep his secret. She was Ginny. He couldn't help but wonder why any more of those idiotic Gryffindors hadn't seen her, but he had to admit he was glad. 

He looked up to see two familiar-looking first years staring at him from across the room. With a smirk, he raised his wand, ever so slightly, and whispered, "_Locomotor__ Mortis," then laughed as the younger students began to hop around, looking more confused than they had. As if that were possible._

He glanced up to the clock sitting superiorly above the mantel on the wall and slowly rose from the chair. He saw Crabbe and Goyle stand with him and quickly waved them off. "Stay." Any other person would have been offended; they didn't even seem to notice as they sat back down, looking stupidly at the chess set between them. Ten minutes. He had ten minutes to get to the Quidditch field and into the Slytherin locker room before the Gryffindors would show up for practice. No problem, not for Draco Malfoy.

~*~

Ginny closed her books and peaked out from behind the closed bed curtains, giving herself a small congratulatory smile. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect. Maybe Draco was rubbing off on her a little too much... She shook the thought from her head and stepped up to the full length mirror. 

The mirror smiled back at her, sensing her excitement. "It's a big day, isn't it, Ginny?" A small pink blush rose in Ginny's cheeks, as she smoothed out her hair and splashed a small amount of water over her face. "Who's the lucky boy?" the mirror asked, without shame. 

Ginny guessed that shame wasn't something taught in mirror school, or wherever these things came from. She looked around sheepishly before looking back to her reflection. "Someone that no one would ever guess."

The mirror stared back at her, caught somewhere between amusement and annoyance. "You can't hide anything from me, girl. I already know."

"How?" Ginny gasped, before she could catch herself. Her blush grew deeper.

The mirror laughed, "Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. You should study those books as often as you claim you do. Mirrors know everything. We not only reflect your physical image, but also your psychological image. Your inner self. I know things about you even Ron doesn't know."

Ginny let out a snort and turned away. "That's not hard. Ron doesn't know much about me."

"You give yourself too much credit, my dear. Ron knows much more about you than you want to admit. Or even more than he wants to admit."

Ginny whirled around, once more to face the mirror, with fire in her eyes this time. "What would you know? You've never even spoken with him. He ignores me. He goes off with Harry and Hermione, but am I ever invited? He used to be my best friend, when we were at home."

A faint grandmotherly clucking noise came from the mirror and Ginny swore if it were possible for a mirror to roll its eyes, that's what her mirror was doing. "You're right, my dear. I've never spoken a word to Ron. But I've already told you I can see your inner self, and what does that say for him if he was your best friend growing up?" The mirror waited until it got nothing but a confused look from Ginny to continue. "It means I know him as well as you know him. And deep down, you know he cares."

The clock tower rang out, signaling she was late, and Ginny tossed on her cloak, without another look at the mirror. "I'm late," she threw over her shoulder, walking out with quick, deliberate steps into the crisp evening air.

~*~

Draco sat in the dark, silently cursing women in general. What time did he have to tell her before she'd get here on time? Maybe next time he'd tell her to be here fifteen minutes before he planned to show up. Angrily, he pointed his wand towards a beetle crawling across the Slytherin locker room and hissed, "_Wingardium__ Leviosa." The beetle lifted from the ground and suspended midair. Draco watched, greatly amused, as the bug's tiny legs seemed to keep running while the tiny creature got nowhere. An almost silent creak from the door turned his attention behind him, his wand in tow. _

Ginny rolled her eyes, a smirk covering her lips. "You wouldn't use that on me."

"Oh, I wouldn't?" Draco asked, lifting it a little higher. "What makes you so sure?"

With record speed, Ginny had her wand aimed right back at him. "Because you won't," came her even reply.

"_Wingardium__ Leviosa!" Draco let out a rare laugh as Ginny became the object of his incantation and was lifted into the air._

"Draco!" she squealed. "Put me down, or I'll..."

"You'll what?" His mood was lightening with every passing second.

"I'll… I'll... _Petrificus__ Totalus!" She dropped to the ground with a loud thud and rolled over, amusement in her eyes as she saw the surprised look frozen on Draco's face as he tumbled over solidly to the ground. She picked herself up and dusted off her robes before kneeling beside him and briefly brushing her lips across his. "You know, I reckon I like you like this." She laughed, then leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "_Finite Incantatum_." _

His arms were instantly around her waist, pulling her down across his body. "I can't believe you did that!"

Ginny smiled innocently. "Did what? I didn't do anything."

Shaking his head, Draco smirked. "You just wanted closer to me, Weasley." She only replied with a shrug and a smirk of her own. "Say it, Weasley. I want to hear you tell me how much you wanted to be near me." It had started as a joke, but somewhere along the way, Draco's throat had gone dry, and his voice had dropped to almost a low moan. Maybe it was her brown eyes locked to his, maybe it was her fingers already nimbly tugging at his robes, maybe it was his own reaction to being this close to her, to smelling her, to feeling her.

"Don't fool yourself, Malfoy." Such strong words, Ginny thought, considering she had already almost fully undressed him.

Draco looked down with surprise as she finished with his shirt and began to work on his trousers. "Ginny? What are you doing?" He was met with a brief gaze and quick flick of her tongue over her bottom lip, although he couldn't decide whether it was a nervous flick or just outright sexy, before she returned to her work. "Ginny?" he repeated, "Are you...?" He was suddenly too nervous to say it. She was!

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat, as she pulled his trousers off and discarded them. She started at his feet and slowly massaged her way up his legs to his chest, and every sculpted muscle she found. His arms, his neck, his shoulders, nothing was sacred from her attack. She smiled to herself, when she finally felt him relax under her fingers and lay back again with one hand pillowing his head from the ground. She glanced up and found his eyes watching every move she was making. Purposely, she kept her eyes on his, as she leaned forward and slowly began to increase the assault, using her lips as a primary assault weapon and changing her hands to her backup, only using them to cover the skin her lips couldn't reach. He was groaning, and she thought the noises sounded like good ones. She couldn't be sure. Suddenly, she felt his free hand slide through her hair and pull gently on her head, begging her without words to look back at him. No, not look at him; that hand wanted her to come back with it. Back up to meet his lips, and she had no arguments.

Somehow, within the brief, passion-filled moments that followed, Ginny found herself bare and feeling every one of Draco's muscles rippling over her as she lay beneath him. This was it. If she was going to change her mind, she had to do it now. Even in thinking so, she knew she didn't want to. Her hands urged him on, massaging, holding, tearing at his bare back as he simulated movements that were soon to be real. "Draco…" she whispered, biting at his shoulder.

"Have you ever...?" His eyes met hers in a search for truth, then closed briefly when they saw the gentle shake of her head. He balanced on one elbow as he ran the other hand through his hair, then through hers. "I'll be gentle," he promised.

Her heart swelled, as she gasped for a breath and caught his scent more thoroughly. She shook her head, "No. Just be you. I want this with you, not with some...."

"Gryffindor wanker?" he supplied, smiling down on her.

She laughed softly. "Not exactly what I was thinking, but you're about as far from that as they come, I suppose."

He nodded, happy with the answer as he sunk into her, pausing for a moment to kiss her tears away, something he'd never cared to do before. It scared him, but the truth in her deep brown eyes when she opened them and met his gray ones eased his mind.

~*~

Ginny gasped for air as she felt Draco's heart beat wildly against her. He'd collapsed, still between her legs, and his chest resting in just the right place so that the rhythmic beating seemed to be doing something for her she hadn't thought possible. She'd thought she was completely satiated, she was wrong. Her hands were buried into his silvery soft locks, which for once looked as if they'd been through hell. She smiled to herself; they had. She listened; his breathing was starting to slow and even out, just a little. "I should go. Practice won't last much longer." 

He looked up at her, never lifting his head, and nodded. "You go first. I don't think I can walk yet."

Ginny laughed. "You're going to have to get off of me and let me get dressed then." Was that a blush? On Draco Malfoy? Ginny was almost certain but knew better than to point it out. She waited on him to roll and swiftly dressed. She knelt back down and kissed him once more. "Until next time," she whispered.

He smirked. "Who says there will be a next time? I've already had my way with you, woman."

Rolling her eyes, Ginny went to the door before turning back to him, returning his evil smirk. "There will be. I'm not the other girls you've been with."

The smirk turned genuine to both of them, as she walked out the door and heard the faint whisper from his lips, "No, no you're not."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling doesn't seem to fully appreciate the wonder that is Draco, so I thought she wouldn't mind my stealing him for a bit.

The specialist of special thanks goes out to my personal Websters and HP dictionary and beta reader, Freelancer. I love you, girl! She's the best. Round of applause! Yeah, and to all the great reviews, thank you, thank you, thank you! You're all such an inspiring bunch! And to Vigie: Very good questions! I'll try to answer them in the next few chapters. 

The last thing on Ginny's mind during breakfast was the owls that had invaded the Great Hall delivering mail, until suddenly she felt the softest of flutters against her cheek. Startled, she gasped as she looked over to find a fluffy silver Scops owl resting on her shoulder. In its beak was a delicate gold lace ribbon which had been carefully tied around a tiny, velvet, emerald green box. 

Ginny's jaw was slightly agape as she sat dumbfounded. Owls rarely ever lost their way, much less purposely landed on anyone's shoulder other than their owner's. She stretched her arm up to him and offered her finger slowly, so he could step on. To her surprise, he did. "What do you have?" For some reason, she found herself surprised that the owl didn't answer back, only nudged his little beak towards her, the parcel still in tow.

Ginny's hand was shaking, as she reached out and took the tiny package between her fingers. It was then she saw the magical silver glitter writing with her name blinking across the box in delicate script. Her heart leapt, as she glanced across the room quickly. Surely he wouldn't send her a gift? It'd be so obvious and easily tracked! But who else could have? Who else would have?

There was only one way to find out.

Before she could pull the ribbon open, she heard Hermione gasp. "Who is that from?"

"I don't know," Ginny answered honestly.

"May I see?" Before Ginny could think, Hermione already had the box firmly in her own grip and was rolling it around in her hand, scrutinizing every part of it down to the last piece of velvet. "It doesn't say. It just has your name."

"I saw that." Ginny laughed. "Do you reckon I should open it and find out?"

Hermione nodded eagerly but before she could hand the box back, it found its way into Ron's hands. "Ron!" Ginny screeched, making a wild lunge for her package. "Let me open it!" The small Scops owl fluttered its wings but managed to keep its balance, as Ginny claimed her prize and righted herself. She carefully pulled on the ribbon and jumped when it turned into a piece of parchment in her very hands. On it, in the same silvery glittered script read:

iGinny,

Her name is Flitterbloom. She's yours. She answers only to you and me. I've trained her that way for months now. I had fun and hope to have more. Soon. /i

Flitterbloom? What kind of name was that? Ginny tried to think back over Herbology lessons but quickly became impatient. "Hermione? Isn't Flitterbloom a poisonous plant?"

Without missing a beat, her friend shook her head. "You're thinking of Devil's Snare. Flitterbloom takes on the look of it but is non-violent."

Ginny smiled. So it was from him. How fitting.

The ribbon out of the way, and the box finally back in her possession, Ginny took great pleasure in smoothing the down feathers of Flitterbloom with her thumb as she set the box on the table in front of her. Her breakfast had been long since forgotten in the excitement, and without thought, she pushed the cold tray away to make room. The box vibrated upon being set on the table, and the lid slowly began to rise. Inside was the single most beautiful thing Ginny had ever seen. She reached in and pulled out a delicate gold chain, barely thick enough to feel between her fingers. Ginny gasped as she felt it slide between her fingers, feeling more like a single thread of silk than a chain. At the end, the chain seemed to take shape all on its own. The form wasn't a hanging piece of jewelry merely slapped onto the metal; it seemed to be made from the gold links themselves. Ginny was awestruck as the tiny lion head came into view. Its eyes were made of the smallest cut red rubies she'd ever seen, but she was still amazingly able to see every detail of the cut. It was absolutely perfect. The eyes glittered so they even appeared to be winking at her!

"Who's it from?" Hermione asked, rather impatiently.

Ginny only shrugged her shoulders. "You've seen everything I have. Help me put it on?" She held her full head of hair out of the way while her friend snapped the clasp. 

"It looks beautiful on you, Ginny." Hermione smiled. "I wish someone would care enough to get me something like that."

"I just wish I knew who it was from," Ron grumbled, oblivious to the not-so-subtle hint being tossed his direction.

~*~

Draco leaned over the water fountain, letting the cool liquid flow over his lips and soak his tongue, as he lapped it into his mouth. For some reason, the normal day to day commotion of Hogwarts was especially annoying to him, as all he could think about was getting back out to that locker room. Not that it would matter. She wasn't there.

He stood up and smoothed his robes before turning around. He came face to face with a very sexy redhead; although, looking down at her, he couldn't decide whether she looked angry or pleased. With a glance to each side to assure their isolation, he snaked an arm around her waist, bringing her body against him. "I knew you couldn't stay away." He bent to kiss her and groaned when she slipped out of his grip. Oh yeah, he recognized it now, for sure. It was definitely anger.

"What were you thinking?"

Draco looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "That I wanted to kiss you?" 

She held the necklace up around her neck with her thumb and repeated the question. 

Draco sighed. "I thought it would look good on you. I thought you would like it. I thought I'd do something nice for a change."

"You thought you'd have it delivered in front of the whole school, including Ron?" she asked incredulously.

He smirked. "I also thought it would be quite funny to give it to you right in front of the oaf. He didn't suspect a thing; I was watching."

Ginny slapped his shoulder, causing him to cringe. "That oaf is my brother! Keep this up, and he's going to suspect something. Then we're in big trouble. And haven't I told you to quit calling him that?"

"Do you prefer Weasel?" He snickered, then backed down upon receiving the glare he knew was coming, "I didn't think so." He took her hand and began to walk. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Ginny followed him curiously and frowned when he only walked a few steps and sat on the bottom step of a nearby stairwell. She stood above him, staring down in confusion. "You wanted to show me the steps?"

"No." He laughed and pulled her down onto his lap. Turning her to the side so he could see her properly, he picked the lion head up between his thumb and forefinger so it was in view to both of them.

Ginny watched him; she never could get over the transformation between his public self and his private. If she could get Ron and her friends to see this side of him_ But she knew it would never happen. They'd never willingly believe it, and he'd never willingly show them. It was a lost cause. She bent her neck enough to wash her lips softly over the knuckle of his forefinger, looking up into his eyes with her own wide brown orbs. He was smiling at her, yet another thing that still surprised her. A smile on Draco Malfoy looked as out of place as a grindylow out of water.

The sound of slow, languid footsteps coming down the corridor made them both freeze. Draco sank back into the shadows with Ginny still on his lap. Without words, they found themselves holding their breath, but the sound of their hearts against their chests was sure to give them away. The steps slowed as they neared the stairwell, and Ginny closed her eyes, her mind chanting, "out of sight, out of mind." 

Draco was the first to see her. He looked up with a sneer, ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness.

"You're holding your breath, Ginny."

Ginny opened her eyes, and let the air burst free at the sound of her friend's voice. "Luna!" Luna stood before her, her trusty copy of The Quibbler in hand, and her wand stuck safely behind her left ear. "What.... what are you doing down here?"

"This corridor is off limits," Draco growled. "Clear off, Loony."

Luna only shrugged uncaringly and continued her journey. "Dragons like warm, dark places," she announced, as she climbed the stairs behind them. 

Draco waited until the footsteps could no longer be heard, before daring to open his mouth again. "What the hell was that?"

Ginny giggled; "I'm not sure. I'm never sure. But she won't say anything. I'm sure of that."

"She better not," he warned. Ginny only rolled her eyes and leaned forward to kiss him. His mood slightly lightened, he continued to play with the lion's head for a few moments contently. "Have you figured out the password to it yet?"

Ginny bit her bottom lip and smiled. "There's a password?"

He nodded and leaned over, dangerously close to her chest as he whispered, "iAnimi!/i"

Ginny shivered as his warm breath washed over the bare area above her robes, desire growing in her. Oh, how she wanted to take another trip to the Slytherin locker rooms! His whispered word caught in her ear, animi, at heart. She looked down to see the lion's head changing before her eyes. The gold turned to silver, and the lion's head turned to a small but powerful looking dragon. Even the jewel in the eye turned from a red ruby to a green emerald. She breathed in sharply. Around her very neck was a symbol of her love. Of his love. Of him. "Draco! It's even more beautiful than before!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.

"It looks good on you. I knew it would. You've got me with you always, now," he whispered, his lips fluttering against the sensitive skin of her neck. 

She squealed in delight at the simple touches he was giving her. "I wish I could wear it like this. Always."

"I know who you are at heart. I know you're my dragon at heart."

More footsteps could be heard, farther away this time, giving them more warning. Ginny stood and smoothed her robes, tucking the dragon safely next to her skin. "Meet me tonight?" she whispered, her eyes darting around for the first sign of a person.

He nodded. "Come to my room."

"In Slytherin house?" she squeaked. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"The password is 'Hebridean Black.' You'll find a way. You've got more of me in you than anyone realizes."

Ginny rolled her eyes at the double meaning and pinched his ear on her way up the stairs to follow Luna. Draco watched her until she was out of sight before finally leaving his hiding spot.

~*~

Hermione sat on the floor between Ginny's feet as the younger girl succeeded in finishing yet another row of braids down her soft brown mane. "Ginny? Have you noticed boys can be quite oblivious when they want to be?"

"What boy might you be talking about?" Ginny asked, as if she didn't know.

Hermione huffed and pulled away, her fingers immediately flying to her head to pull out the tiny braids. "Well, if you must know..." She turned around to find her friend giggling. "What?"

"Your hair. It's even wilder now. You should have let me finish."

With a defeated "hmph," Hermione turned back around and pulled her books back into her lap. "Ron is such a.... I don't know what he is sometimes." 

"Idiot?" Ginny supplied affectionately.

"I was thinking more along the lines of insufferable prat," Hermione said. Her tone was so serious it made Ginny laugh harder. Hermione turned again, a glare fixed in her eyes. "What is so funny?"

"Why don't you just tell him you like him?"

"I don't like him!" Hermione's stubbornness betrayed her when she spoke too quickly. "Oh fine, but the insensitive wart probably wouldn't have any idea what I was saying. Even if I did."

"Give him some credit!" Ginny laughed. "Besides, who says he's not trying to find a way to tell you the same thing?"

Hermione was considering the possibility when she heard the offending voice of the subject of her thoughts bellowing up the staircase.

"Ginny!" 

Ginny sighed and dropped Hermione's locks. "I hate it when he does that." She walked to the door and opened it, sticking her head out.

"You coming to practice this time, or what?" Ron asked.

"When?"

"Now! You missed my last practice."

Ginny impatiently glanced at her watch. She had time. "You know, most teams only practice once a week, Ron."

"Most teams don't hold the Cup either, Gin."

Ginny saluted. "Yes, my beloved Quidditch captain." She giggled, knowing Ron well enough to know he was cursing her under his breath but didn't dare yell it so loud as to be heard up the stairs and all around Gryffindor tower.

~*~

"Hebridean Black," Ginny nervously spat out, after her third try. She was almost sure it was a sign she was doing something very, very wrong by entering Slytherin when her voice refused to let her say the words the first two times.

A piece of the stone wall slid to the side. Tentatively, Ginny peeked inside, glad to see very few Slytherins still in the common room. She was even happier that none were concerned about the door sliding open. In their own smugness, they must have been convinced anyone with the password must belong. She took a moment to survey the dungeon, intrigued by the low lighting and Slytherin green that surrounded her. The Slytherin quarters were much different from Gryffindor. The walls were colder and the ceilings lower. There was a damp, musty feel, but she wasn't sure if that was real, or just her psyche giving her what she'd expected. She growled inwardly, as she realized she had no idea where Draco's room was.

Then she saw him.

His pale, shining, white-blonde hair would give him away anywhere, and tonight he sat at a desk in front of an open door in a room off to her side. He had a lamp shining on him, as he leaned meticulously over his desk, concentrating. She smiled; iso he did study!/i

Without another moment's notice, she went to him, shutting the door behind her. "You look busy. Maybe I should come back."

He jumped. He'd been so entranced in his homework he hadn't heard her come in. That dreaded sexy smirk graced his lips. "I knew you'd find your way. You just can't stay away from me."

"Oh, I could." It was an outright lie, and they both knew it, but Draco decided to play along. 

"Go then." He waved her off, then practically knocked his chair over when he jumped up to stop her after she turned towards the door.

Ginny laughed, as she found herself held tightly in his arms. "I knew you wouldn't let me leave."

"You did?" One pale eyebrow rose as he looked down at her with curiosity. "Most girls wouldn't be so presumptuous."

"Most girls don't have a piece of the dragon with them always."

"You've got me." Draco laughed; just a little, but she loved the sound, as strange as it was. Before she could reply, she found his lips on hers, sucking hungrily at the flesh, nipping with desire. 

He wasn't as hard to undress as he had been the previous night; tonight he was only in a pair of green silk pyjama bottoms, and soon he wasn't even wearing those.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been weeks since they'd had a chance to be together and still Draco couldn't let himself to show any amount of weakness. She was his weakness; he was fully aware of it. Hell, she might have even been aware of it. That didn't change the fact that he refused to show it. He gave an indifferent glance to the door and smirked as he saw it open then close and lock with seemingly no one coming through. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw her drop his invisibility cloak then carefully drape it over one arm before setting it on a nearby bench. He liked that. It was nice to know she cared about his things, just as she cared about him. She didn't take anything for granted.

Ginny looked around in pure amazement. The white marble was exquisite, almost as welcome to her eyes as Draco's bare form in front of her. She smiled appreciatively as he brought his arms above his head and dove into the once-still water. He broke the surface, and she giggled as he came up with a blue and green bubbled hat.

"What?" 

She only pointed, laughing harder. 

He ran his fingers through his hair and rolled his eyes as he came out with a handful of bubbles. "Honestly, Weasley. You could have told me."

"Oh? So it's Weasley again, is it?" She continued to laugh. 

A smile broke across his lips, even though he'd tried to keep it at bay. "Are you getting in here or not, woman?" 

"How can I resist such a charming offer?" Ginny drawled. She saw him lifting himself out of the water, bubbles cascading down his smooth, pale skin. She should have seen it coming. Upon reflection, she *did* see it coming; she just didn't care. 

"Are you going in with your robes on, or are you taking them off?" His voice was already on the verge of throaty, as his hands made contact with her overly-covered waist.

"What if I decide not to go in at all?" Ginny asked, stepping closer to him. She felt his arms around her, and the liquid from his body seeped through her robes. 

"You'll go in." His cocky arrogance never wavered. "The question still remains. With or without?" He tightened his grasp around her and with little effort picked her up inches from the ground. Her feet were no longer touching, and her eyes widened as his smirk grew.

"You wouldn't."

"With or without, Ginny?"

"Draco..." She felt herself being carried and saw the tub coming closer and closer. "Without!" she finally yelled, her legs flailing beneath her.

He stopped just short of the water and sat her back on her feet. "Get to it then." Without waiting, he once again dove into the water with perfect form. Of course it was perfect form; this *was* Draco Malfoy.

A sudden feeling of shyness hit her, as she watched him glide through the water with ease. She waited until he was under the bubbles and out of her vision before quickly disrobing and sliding her own body through the thick layer of bubbles. 

"Animi," Draco whispered from behind her, catching her off guard. Ginny jumped and nearly lost her footing, but Draco's hands around her waist prevented the fall. She smiled as she looked down to her chest and saw the dragon showing itself once more. "I've always been good at sweeping women off their feet," Draco smirked, leaving a warm, wet kiss along her neck.

Ginny laughed, her shyness broken as she turned towards him and brought her body flush against his. "I hardly believe that would be sweeping, Draco. You scared me!" She leaned in to kiss him but was surprised when she felt his hands pushing at her waist, increasing the distance between them. "What?"

He perused her body appreciatively. "You." He shook his head. "You, in nothing but my dragon."

Ginny blushed and pushed her body back next to his, partially because she loved the feel of it, partially because she felt less... naked... that way. She buried her head in his chest and smiled. "You know, Draco, if anyone else ever heard you say things like that_"

"I'd be ruined." He laughed. "But there's no one else here. Besides, have you taken a look?"

The blush deepened to a rosy shade of red rather than soft pink. "No!" She buried her face further in an attempt to hide it completely. "I'm nothing special. Look at the other girls you've been with. They're all rich and beautiful. I'm just... me."

Anger seemed to rise in his face, only briefly. He covered it as quickly as he could and replaced it with his usual facade of calm coolness. "I do have a knack for getting beautiful women." He nodded with indifference. 

Ginny's pride took hold of her as she stiffened in his arms, every muscle in her body straightening. She looked directly into his eyes and smiled. "Yes, you do. You have me, after all."

"I still haven't quite figured out how you trapped me into this."

If she hadn't known him so well, she would have taken offense. Oh, she knew he was serious, but it was just Draco. She'd learned after their first meeting that although his bite could be as bad as his bark, it only took a few fateful run-ins with her pale-haired, ghostly-skinned ex-nemesis before Ginny was able to see the deeper side of his soul. At first, Draco had hated her for it; in the end, it had been his salvation.

~*~

The early morning chill had Ginny bundled under a mountain of blankets above her robes as she watched the beginning of the Slytherin/Hufflepuff match. Only at Hogwarts would a Quidditch match ever be so mismatched! As much as the Weasley in her hated to admit it, Susan Bones had no chance against Draco Malfoy, and it was a sure bet that Slytherin would come out the victors. Slim Susan Bones had no chance against the man who'd held the position for... well, since Ginny had been at Hogwarts. The girl's braid was flying behind her as she gave a futile attempt to catch the Snitch. Oh, what a riot it would be if Hufflepuff actually did beat Malfoy and his gang of egotistical prats! However, as soon as the Snitch was within arm's reach, it wasn't again. 

Aside from a few nice blows the Slytherin team was making against the Hufflepuffs, and a few strategic moves Ginny had picked up, the match was rather dull. Soon she found her teeth chattering as she stared off into the distance at the mystical castle she'd called home for the last six years. Stifling a yawn she gathered her blankets around her and descended the steps of the bleachers. On the last step, she stopped as the small crowd roared. Surely nothing at a Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin match could cause this. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy whirling uncontrollably towards the ground. She couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her as she paused to watch the outcome. Sure, he could be hurt, but this was Malfoy. She'd never get that lucky. The Slytherin students were on their feet, yelling, cursing, and going mad with unabashed outrage. The Hufflepuffs were in a state of shocked excitement never to be matched.

Slipping out of the stands and between two dressing rooms, Ginny watched the scene intently, away from the noise. If Draco were hurt this early in the season, Gryffindor wouldn't have a worthy opponent at all this year.

Draco hit the ground and tumbled. He closed his eyes and grunted as the soft grass proved to have a rather hard underside. Finally he was able to come to a stop. He took a deep breath, carefully masking the pain he felt. Before he'd even risen to his feet, he yelled for a time out. His broom now resembled scattered toothpicks. He couldn't-no, wouldn't-lose this match to Hufflepuff. With determination, he scanned the stands. Surely at least one person in his House had brought their broom! 

Nothing.

He stalked off the pitch, inaudible grumbles about his broom tumbling carelessly from his lips. "Mr. Malfoy!" He turned to see Madame Hooch's yellow, hawk like eyes staring him down. "Where might you be going in the middle of a match?"

"As you can see," he gestured toward the broken broom in the middle of the pitch, "I can't very well finish the match on that." He ducked into the dressing room; any broom would do at this point. He didn't even need a good one to beat Susan Bones, although the thought of riding something less that top of the line did make him shudder just a bit.

Nothing, again.

Shoving his hand absently through his hair, he stepped back out of the dressing rooms, ready to scream, kick, throw the most childish temper tantrum he'd ever imagined. "Calm yourself!" he admonished. "Just think. Think, Draco!" Suddenly the wind carried the scent of strawberries to his nose and a small laugh to his ears. Following the direction of the wind, he caught sight of just a few locks of auburn hair coming out from behind the corner of the building. "You can come out, Weasley."

Ginny took a deep breath and stepped out from her hiding place, a solid smirk etched in her face. "Problems, Malfoy?"

Through his annoyance, the broom her fist was circled around didn't catch his eyes at first. "Actually, I do. See, it's like this. Everywhere I go there's always some female watching me. Wishing for me. Wanting me. I never get a moment's peace. Do you have any suggestions, Weasley?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was hoping you'd fall a little harder. It might have knocked some sense into you. As it is, I think you must have hit your head because you're delirious."

He took a step towards her, capturing her between the wall and his body. "Am I? Then you must be in my imagination, in which case, you wouldn't mind me doing this." He sneered as he reached a cold hand under her shirt, causing her to jump.

"That's cold!"

"'That's cold?'" he repeated. "Not 'move?' Not 'Ron's going to kill you?' Not 'what are you doing?' Just... 'that's cold?' I'm impressed, Weasley. I always thought you more of a good girl."

"Gods forbid I impress you," she spat. With a solid push, she was able to move him a few inches back, although he still had her cornered. He quickly made the difference up, this time connecting his body against hers to secure her. "Don't you have something you should be doing, Malfoy?"

He did. He just had to remember it. He was going to get a... a... broom! His eyes focused more thoroughly on the shape in front of her. His fist gripped the handle of the broom right above her fist. "I'm borrowing your... where the bloody hell did you get a Firebolt? This is better than my broom!"

Ginny laughed at his outrage and tightened her grip. "Fred and George got it for me just before school started. Nice, isn't it?"

"You wouldn't even know how to ride it properly." He tugged on the broom, but she wouldn't give way. With a smirk, he leaned in inches from her. "Let go of the broom, Weasley. I promise to return it all in one piece."

"With the way you've treated your own broom today? I don't reckon that's a very good idea."

Draco growled as he heard Madame Hooch giving the last call that his time out was, in fact, running out and jerked on the broom, pulling it free from her hand. "I'll return it after the match."

Ginny watched with apparent rage as he rose back into the game on her broom. Hers!

~*~

"How I trapped you?" she asked, laughing. "If I remember correctly, you started this, Draco Malfoy."

He raised a single finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh," before kissing her gently. The thunderous knock on the bathroom door was a most unwelcome disruption.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione sat cross legged on the floor of the Gryffindor common room. Her Transfiguration book was in her lap, and numerous other books scattered around her. Ron paced the floor in front of her, his arms flailing wildly as he continued on with his rant.

It was quite a normal scene.

"That stupid, self-righteous git! He thinks just because he's rich or his father is a Death Eater he can stay in the bathroom for hours? There are others that want in there too! Bloody prat! And the way he says things. 'Go away, Weasley. Unless, of course, I was right and you'd rather be in here with me than that Mudblood. But on second thought, you're not my type so just go away. First come, first serve.' And he makes Weasley sound like it should be an insult. An insult!" Ron growled. "And I swear to the gods, if he ever says that word around me without the presence of a locked door..."

"I know, Ron. We all know. It's just a bath; you can go later." Hermione sighed. She really wished he'd get it all out of his system so she could get back to her studies, but by the look on Ron's face, that wasn't going to be for a while. A very long while. Silently she leaned against the table behind her and watched.

"First come, first serve? He's going to be in there all night! And I know I heard a girl's voice in there. He's breaking the rules, and I'm the one paying! I should just go get Professor McGonagall right now."

"He hasn't let up yet?" Harry asked, sinking down beside Hermione. He received a short shake of the head and picked up a Muggle ball one of the first years had left in the floor. "Hackey sack! Have you played?"

Hermione just glared. "Of course not. Can we think about calming Ron down, please? I really must study for my exam tomorrow!"

Harry tossed the ball and smiled as it connected right in the middle of his friend's forehead. "You know, you could use the regular bathrooms like the rest of us if you're that desperate."

"But I'm a prefect!" Ron gasped, as if the idea were absurd. "I earned the right to that bathroom, and now I'm locked out while Malfoy has some kind of tryst? It's just not right!"

"Things rarely are when Malfoy is involved."

Ron suddenly stopped cold in his tracks and turned towards the door. Harry and Hermione sat up and turned to see what had caught his attention. "What, Ron? It's just Ginny." Hermione sat back down but looked again as Ron's eyes narrowed.

"Why is her hair wet?"

"And I would know that, how? I've been sitting here listening to you rave on like a lunatic!"

Ron spared Hermione a small, apologetic glance before turning back towards the door. Ginny was already starting up the steps to her room when he bellowed, "Oi, Ginny! Where are you going?"

Ginny stopped and turned slowly. "My room?"

"Where have you been?" Ron asked, slowly leading up to his real curiosity.

"Not in my room?" Ginny again answered with a question before slowly taking a step back up the stairs.

"Ginny," his voice was sing-songy as he walked towards the stairs "why is your hair wet?"

Ginny froze. She hadn't thought of that! Her eyes swept the room before coming back to Ron. "Peeves!" she answered quickly. "Peeves threw a bucket of water on me."

"Just on your head? Why aren't your clothes wet?"

Ginny was at a loss. She had no idea what to say and was glad for the distraction when a group of first years started laughing so hard they tipped a table over after one of them, probably a Muggle-born, pointed his wand at his book and yelled, "Velveeta!"

Of course, nothing happened. Ginny was able to use the distraction to her advantage and get into her room without further questioning from her brother. 

Ron's feet were planted as he looked to the empty spot where his sister had previously stood. His jaw was agape. "I hate it when she does that! When did she start doing that?" He swung his gaze around to Hermione. "Will you go find out why her clothes were dry? Please?"

"I will not! Leave her alone, Ron. Ginny deserves some privacy and respect, even from you."

"But I think she's lying to me!"

Hermione, always the voice of reason, stood up. "Why would Ginny lie to you? She's a good girl. You shouldn't worry so much about her when you could worry about so many other things."

"What else do I have to worry about? Harry defeated...." he shuddered, "him. And_"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can say his name."

"No, thanks. All I was saying was that Harry defeated him, and my grades are fine, thanks to you tutoring me. Mum doesn't have all of us at home to look after. Besides, someone has to watch over her without Mum around." He looked down to see Hermione glaring at him. "What? What'd I say?"

"If you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you," Hermione sniffed, standing and gathering her books. "I think I'll go talk to someone who will give me a decent conversation."

Ron watched as his friend stormed away, completely confused. "What'd I say?" he repeated, this time directing the question to Harry. 

Harry shrugged. "How does a game of chess sound?"

~*~

Ginny lay peacefully across her bed, deep in dreams, when she heard Hermione stomp in and drop her load on the bed before sitting with a squeak of the old, rusty springs and a sigh. "Ron?" she asked knowingly.

"He's an idiot. You were right."

"What'd he do?"

"Don't ask that! You sound just like him. 'What'd I do?'" The mocking tone was perfect and sent Ginny into fits of giggles. "I don't want to talk about it," Hermione said sternly. "You were in a peaceful state. What might you have been thinking about? A boy?"

"Yes." Ginny smiled before she knew what she'd said. Her eyes opened in horror as Hermione stared at her questioningly. "I mean no!"

"No, you don't. Tell me! At least one of us should have something interesting going on!" Hermione laughed and made herself comfortable. 

To Ginny, it was obvious she wasn't getting out of this talk. Now she had to figure out what to say. She bit her bottom lip and played with the edge of her pillow until she felt her friend's impatience filling the room before finally speaking. "It's just a boy..."

"Are you dating him?" Hermione interrupted. 

"Yes and no. We've done a few things together, but nothing, you know, to make it public." Ginny smiled inwardly. Draco would be proud, and she hadn't even had to tell a lie, yet.

"Well?" Hermione pressed. "Who is he? I bet it's Justin Finch-Fletchley. Isn't it?"

"No. Not Justin. I'm really not..."

"Ernie Macmillian?" Hermione interrupted.

"No. I'm really not comfortable with it being public yet."

"Public? You know I wouldn't say a word!" the girl sniffed. "Honestly, Ginny. I'm the most trustworthy person you know."

"I agree. You are. I'm just not comfortable with anyone knowing yet. You know how Ron is. What if something slipped? Not on purpose, mind you, but it could happen. And when one person knows something at Hogwarts, everyone knows, and then if this thing didn't work out, everyone would know that too."

"Fine. Will you tell me about him though?"

Ginny smiled. "He's the sweetest guy in the wizarding world. He's the one that sent me this necklace and Flitterbloom. He trained Flitterbloom for me just so we'd have a way to communicate. Isn't that sweet?" Hermione nodded eagerly, and Ginny continued. "He sends me notes in class, and we meet sometimes. Not up in the Astronomy Tower or anything like that, just different places that we can talk and get to know each other better."

"He sounds wonderful. I wonder where some other boy could go to get lessons."

Ginny laughed. "If you're counting on any of that from Ron_"

"I know, I know. He's utterly clueless sometimes. But I want to hear more about your boy. How did you get together?"

Ginny thought back fondly to the fateful Quidditch match and decided it better to leave some parts of the story out. "It was a few months ago, right after a Quidditch game. I caught my robes on the stands and was getting frustrated trying to free them. He came along and.... in his own special way... removed them for me." Ginny immediately blushed. "I mean he got them loose!"

"I would hope that's what you meant," Hermione snickered. "So then what? You just started a torrid, secret affair?"

Ginny laughed. "You're relentless. Not exactly. I saw something in him that day I never expected, and, honestly, it intrigued me. So...I stalked him."

Hermione looked up, surprised, and saw Ginny staring back at her with a Cheshire grin. "You stalked him?" 

"I did."

"What happened then?"

"Then it became a game. I wasn't very secretive about it, although I was trying to be. So he started mocking me, I reckon, and before long it was like one giant game of hide and go seek. One time he found me and sneaked up behind me; I didn't even hear him coming. We... talked...." Ginny thought about it, a smile plastered over her lips. Actually it had been more of an argument, but the outcome was the same. She wouldn't consider that a lie. "And somehow it turned into a kiss."

"Somehow it turned into a kiss?" Hermione repeated. "I talk to Ron all the time."

"Hush!" Ginny looked around. "That's sick."

"I didn't say anything!" Hermione laughed.

"You didn't have to. It still got the mental image into my head. And it was sick."

A thought hit Hermione as her laughter quieted. "Ginny? Why did he have to train Flitterbloom so that you could communicate? Why not just talk to you?"

"Because I wanted an owl, and he knew it." Ginny shrugged.

"But owls are expensive, I mean, unless you're a Malfoy or something," Hermione said, as if the idea was preposterous, and to her, it was. "And that necklace had to cost a pretty knut."

"I hadn't really thought about it. I guess so." Eager for a change of topics, Ginny unknowingly led herself into an even worse one. "What was Ron going on about when I came in?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: 

Draco had unintentionally spewed pumpkin juice all over himself and Ginny when she'd told him about Ron's reaction when she had returned to Gryffindor Tower. He muttered as he changed clothes and called for a house elf to clean the old ones. Irritation was setting in, his foul mood getting worse with every passing second. As if he didn't have enough of a problem getting her alone, now he had to spend what little time they'd found cleaning himself up. But, he thought with amusement, the thought of Ron being so close and so clueless was, in itself, intoxicating. There was something about the idea of getting caught, or rather the danger of it, that made his trysts with Ginny all that much more desirable. 

He was almost certain of what would happen if they ever actually were caught. He knew it wouldn't be pretty. He could count on at least a broken nose, if not more of his bones. Both eyes would likely be blackened, a busted lip. Oh, the list could go on for hours. And that was just from Ron. Only the gods knew what would happen once the news spread through the rest of the Weasley clan. Stupid Neanderthals. Then again, he was sure that if news ever spread about the relationship, he'd get the better end of the deal, dealing with her brothers. He shuddered, thinking about his father's reaction and was fairly sure that not only would he pay, but Ginny would as well. Maybe this was a bad idea. No. This was a bad idea. 

A very bad idea. 

He looked into his mirror, wincing as he saw the reflection staring back at him. What had he gotten himself into? Was he really in love? With a Weasley? Love didn't exist. He'd learned that far too early in life to salvage any semblance of hope for it. So what was going on between him and the youngest Weasley? Draco certainly liked to be with her; intimately or not, it didn't matter. She was capable of so much more than the rest of her family, and yet, she was still a Weasley. He paled as he saw the picture of his demented thoughts play out across his mirror in front of him. 

I"Father, I'd like you to meet someone very special to me. I think I've found the woman to carry on the Malfoy line." 

Lucius looked up, acknowledging his son with the usual disinterest. "And who, pray tell, told you that you had a choice in who would carry my grandchildren?" 

Ginny stepped into the doorway, grasping for Draco's hand. Nervousness filled the air around her, thick and spreading through both of them. "Father, this is Ginny. We're engage..." 

Lucius didn't wait for the sentence to be finished. His expression went from disinterest to hate in a matter of microseconds, the same amount of time it took to grasp and raise his wand. "Crucio!" 

Draco doubled over with pain, bearing his teeth together as he tried to fight it. "Crucio!" 

Ginny fell to the ground at his feet, clutching her stomach. "Draco!" she gasped. 

Draco felt so helpless. He couldn't help her; he couldn't even comfort her. He lowered himself closer to the floor, but stood up abruptly as he was hit with another curse. 

"Crucio!" Lucius yelled, with growing fury. "What did you think you were doing, boy? Bringing a Weasley into Malfoy Manor? Engaged? A Weasley polluting the Malfoy bloodline?" 

"Her family is pureblood!" 

Draco was not able to stay on his feet as the third Cruciatus Curse hit him. Ginny was still reeling from the first as he collapsed beside her. /I

Draco took a sharp intake of breath as he stepped back from the mirror. "Finite Speculum!" 

The image faded and gave way to his reflection once more. Quickly he filled his hands with icy cold water and splashed it against his face. Oh yes, this was a very bad idea. 

He picked up a quill and set it to the parchment on his desk. His heart broke ten minutes later when Flitterbloom fled from his window with the note attached to her leg, not that anyone would have noticed. Draco's trained expression gave away nothing. 

~*~ 

Ginny's face was red, her eyes dark as she made her way through the halls of Hogwarts on a Mission. Her mission: find Draco and rip him into tiny shreds of pus-filled flesh. She stomped up one stairway, and down the next, a single piece of parchment clutched tightly in her fist. Her anger rose the longer she looked, finally, when she thought she must be about to explode, she saw the sunlight shimmering off of his silvery hair as he stood, alone, in front of a window at the end of a hall. 

He must have been deep in thought about something, as he didn't hear her coming until it was too late. Just as he turned around she pinned him against the cold stone wall. The fist holding his letter hard against his chest, holding him. Hurting him. Or at least she hoped it was. She wanted him to feel his heart being yanked out, just as she had. And if she couldn't make him feel it emotionally... physically would have to do. 

"What the hell is this?" she demanded. 

Her blood boiled as he looked down with indifference and sneered, "It looks like a piece of parchment." 

She pushed her body closer, violently pressing him harder into the wall. "Don't be a smart arse, Draco. What the hell does this mean? This was a bad idea? We can't be together?" 

Draco tried to keep his facade up, but he couldn't. Not completely. If anyone else had knocked him into a wall, he would have come back fighting. But this was Ginny. Carefully he concealed the pain in his own eyes and avoided looking into hers. He was all too aware it was there as well. "You knew, Ginny. We both knew when this started that it couldn't last." 

"It?" He winced at the crack in her voice. "IT? What we had... what we did…IT?" 

"Ginny." Bravely he brought his hand up and entwined it in her hair, softly. "You know I didn't mean it like that. I just think, well, I think it's time. We're getting too..... attached. This can't last. Between your family and mine, it just can't. You knew that." 

Her face softened, some of the red draining out as her color slowly began to find its way back. Her voice, however, was leaving her. She spoke in only a whisper, "So you took it upon yourself to decide that this was the time? Without even taking my feelings into consideration?" 

He'd thought her getting her rage out would make the situation easier. Now he realized he'd been wrong. So wrong. No longer could he ignore the pain written all over her face, aired in her voice. He closed his eyes briefly to regain his composure. "What would you have said, Ginny? Would you have agreed that it was time? Would you ever agree that it was time?" 

She stared at him for what seemed like hours, although in reality, it was only minutes. She was silent; he couldn't even tell if she was breathing. The calmer she got, the more scared he became. Finally, she pulled away from him. Quickly, almost as if it hurt to be close to him, to touch him. He wasn't sure that it didn't. It was hurting him for her to be so close. Not anywhere he was used to. He could have dealt with physical pain. Emotional, dealings of the heart, this was new territory to him. 

"Ginny…" 

She'd turned her back on him before he could stop her. "Don't, Malfoy. Just don't. I'm really not in the mood to listen to your narcissistic Malfoy crap." 

And she was gone. 

Draco stood beside the same window until the sun had left and only darkness filtered through. 

Darkness. 

Draco felt as if his entire life was surrounded with the stuff, and he hated it. Why wasn't he given a choice on his father being a Death Eater? Why wasn't he given a choice on his family being associated with the Dark Lord? Why wasn't he given a choice on who he could be with? 

Only when his arm burned did he realize that he hadn't moved in hours. His hand still hung in the air just as it had when he'd last touched Ginny. He could almost feel her silky strands between his fingers still. He willed his arm to drop to his side, and it did, hitting his thigh like a brick as he slowly made his way back to the dungeons. Back to the place he'd belong, always. 

~*~

Hermione watched as her usually strong friend seemed to drain every last bit of energy she possessed attempting to climb the stairs. She took careful note of Ginny's knuckles blanched white as she gripped the railing with all her might.

Something was terribly wrong.

Ginny's normally jubilant face was closed off, the color that was left seemed to be only remnant of something more. Maybe a fever? Hermione didn't know. Ginny's slumped posture and slow steps were a position Hermione had previously thought she'd never see on such a lively girl, and her head was hung low, almost in a shameful expression.

She seemed completely and utterly drained. 

"Ron?" Hermione whispered, then realized the stupidity of whispering. "What's wrong with Ginny?"

Ron looked up from his game of Chess and shrugged, "maybe she's not feeling well."

Hermione stood, "I'm going to go check on her. She may need to see Madame Pomfrey." She followed Ginny's tracks up the stairs and gently knocked on her door before entering. "Ginny? Are you okay?"

Ginny tried to contain her voice. She did. But it still cracked when she tried to speak. She shook it off and tried once more, a weak cry escaped. Hermione was immediately at her side wrapping her arms around the girl. "Do you need to go to.."

Ginny cut her off with an adamant head shake. "No," she whispered, "I'm just tired. That's all. I've been tired lately."

Hermione lay down beside her and stroked Ginny's soft hair as both girls fell into a restless slumber. 


	6. Chapter 6

Draco took no pleasure in the mound of first years he left lying at the end of the hall. Somehow it was no comfort to him. He grumbled as he roughly pushed past another one who had been trying to run to her friend's rescue, leaving her practically untouched.

He needed a way to vent the frustrated energy building inside him. He smirked as he thought of just the right way. Pain shot through his foot after he remembered why that shouldn't, wouldn't, and never again could be effective.

A little slower, he hobbled off down the steps.

Draco stopped before entering the dungeons and mumbled, "Basilisk," before continuing into the Slytherin dormitories. He glared at his bed upon entry to his room. He'd have to buy a new one, or figure out how to get his father to anyway. This one held far too many memories of a certain Gryffindor; it just wouldn't do. 

He was about to disrobe when a voice boomed through his room, "I wouldn't bother with that, son."

Draco jumped and turned towards his fireplace, his eyes rolling, at least mentally. "Father, I didn't see you there."

"Obviously. Now, Draco, I need you to meet me in Hogsmeade. I'm at the Hog's Head." Lucius' head turned away from the fireplace then back. "And your mother says to dress warmly. She doesn't want you to catch cold."

Draco let out an annoyed groan. "Tell Mother I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself. I'll see you both in a bit." With a smirk which Draco definitely recognized, Lucius was gone.

~*~

Ginny woke to a dark room with a stranger's hands around her waist. Momentarily, she jolted until she remembered Hermione comforting her to sleep. She took a deep breath and willed her heart back to its original pulse; however, the cool air did nothing for her. Or maybe it was the thick smell of chocolate coming from her roommates' corner of the room; she wasn't sure. Either way, she hurled herself off the bed and barely made it to the bin before the contents of her stomach emptied. It wasn't until she finished that she noticed Hermione kneeling next to her, holding her hair back. 

"Thanks," she mumbled, rocking back on her heels as she felt a wave of dizziness hit her.

Ginny glanced to the bin and back up at Hermione, an incredulous look upon her face.

"That's it. Come on; we're going to see Madam Pomfrey." Hermione stood up, her hand firmly grasping Ginny's arm. Ginny made a weak sound of protest but honestly couldn't find the energy to fight it.

~*~

Draco shivered as he stepped into the Hog's Head. He had to make a mental note to quit being so stubborn. A warmer robe would have been nice in the cold night air, but no, he had to be stubborn just because his mother had mentioned it.

Looking around, it wasn't hard to spot his mother and father in the nearly empty pub. He made his way across the room, sickened by the filth, and slid into a chair next to his father. "Butterbeer," he told the waitress without even looking up to acknowledge her. He looked around to see three unfamiliar faces sitting across from him.

"Manning, this is my son, Draco," Lucius began the introductions. Draco nodded to the man with indifference as he drank his butterbeer. "Draco, this is an associate of mine, Manning Mason, his wife, Nichole, and his eldest daughter, Neeley. Neeley will start Hogwarts in the morning."

Draco nodded to each of them in turn, taking note of the petite girl directly in front of him. She had scared eyes and a pretty heart-shaped face. Oh yes, she would be fun to torture, teach, and mold. 

Narcissa broke his focus with her voice. "Draco is a seventh year and a prefect," she bragged.

Draco had to wonder what the point of him actually being at this little soirée was exactly. When he found out, he wished he hadn't.

"I've told Manning you'll show Neeley around, Draco. Show her the ropes, teach her about Slytherin and what we're all about. I want you to take her under your wing, per se."

Draco nearly spit out his butterbeer. "But, Father, she's a first year! I can't walk around with a first year girl. It just… isn't done. I've got other things to tend to." _Like torturing first years_, he mentally added.

Lucius' face was stone, not a good sign. "You will. In fact, I'll be in regular correspondence with both Neeley and her father to make sure her treatment is satisfactory." Draco nodded appropriately. "Good." Lucius smiled. "Now that that's taken care of, Dumbledore is expecting her tonight. I'll let you take her back with you while Manning and I discuss other business."

"Father, I'm not even supposed to be here. There's no way I can…"

Lucius stared at his son. "There's always a way, Draco. You just have to get over your lazy streak and think about it."

"Yes, Father." Draco kissed his mother's cheek and shook the hand of his father's associate. "Let's go," he told the small girl roughly and left without waiting for her.

Neeley's much smaller legs struggled to keep up with the obviously perturbed older boy. "I'm sorry," she called to him. "This wasn't my idea either."

Her voice was softer than he was expecting. It rather reminded him of Ginny, which didn't exactly lighten his mood. "It never is," he answered gruffly. "I'm sure Father has some kind of reasoning."

"I think it was just a favor to my father to shut my mother up." The girl finally caught up and struggled for breath as she barely kept pace through the thick snow. "Could we slow down? I'm still not completely well."

Draco slowed just a bit. "Well? Are you sick? I hope it's not something contagious. I hate being sick."

"It's not. I was born with a heart anomaly. That's why I'm starting so late; Professor Dumbledore made a special exception for me because I've been in Spain recovering from hopefully my last surgery."

"Are you from Spain?"

"No," she laughed. "I was born here, but there's a specialist in Spain that my father takes me to."

Her laugh was nice too. Draco mentally kicked himself. This girl was not Ginny, nor would she ever be Ginny. No one would ever be Ginny. He had to force himself to accept that and move on. The snow crunched under the pressure of his steps a few more steps before he replied, "How'd you get into Slytherin? You don't seem the type."

Neeley laughed again. "I begged the Hat when father brought me this summer. Father was a Slytherin, and Mother was a Ravenclaw, but I don't think I could be a Ravenclaw."

"You talk too much. First rule you need to learn is to quit announcing your weaknesses. Slytherin will eat you alive if you keep babbling like you have to me."

Neeley stopped and stared at him. "Next you're going to tell me I should be a Gryffindor or something."

Draco shrugged and gave his signature smirk. "If the shoe fits."

Neeley stepped up to him on short legs and rose to her tiptoes to come a little closer to looking him in the eyes. She tapped her finger into his chest pointedly. "You need to keep in mind that your father will be asking how I'm being treated, and no one but me gets to answer that question, Draco."

She spat his name as if the mere thought of saying it was disgusting to her, and he smiled. "Now that's a Slytherin."

~*~

"Ginny, I need to speak with you alone." Madam Pomfrey looked pointedly at Hermione, but Hermione held her ground.

"It's okay, Madam Pomfrey. I've been tired lately. I'm sure the fatigue just got the best of me. And Hermione is my friend; whatever you tell me, I'd tell her anyway." Ginny gave a watery smile as she dangled her legs off the side of the bed.

"I'm not so sure about that, Ms. Weasley. I'd really like to speak with you alone, or better, with your parents here."

Hermione gasped with alarm. "Is it bad? Should I go get Ron? I'll go get Ron. What's wrong with her?"

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley's brother need not come at this hour. In fact, you should be in your bed. I am perfectly capable of taking care of Ms. Weasley on my own. I want her to stay here for the night, and you can speak to her tomorrow when she's feeling better. She has nothing life threatening; she'll be fine."

"You're sure?" Hermione asked one more time. Upon reassurance, she finally gave in and left.

Ginny stared up at Madam Pomfrey expectantly.


	7. Chapter 7

Ginny lay in her bed, smiling up at Ron. "See? So it's really no big deal. I've just got the Muggle Flu virus. Madame Pomfrey said I probably caught it from one of the Muggle first years and my body isn't used to it so it hit me a little harder."

"I don't know, Ginny. I still think we should call mum. She'd want to know."

"Ron, Madame Pomfrey will have me well in no time. She said two, three days tops. I'm fine. And I don't have to take my Arithmancy test today."

"I could get it and bring it to you," Hermione offered. "You don't want to get behind, Ginny."

Ginny groaned and Ron cracked a smile, "Hermione, that was the bright side of being in here. Don't try to take that away from her."

"Thank you, Ron." Ginny laughed.

"Any time, my dear." Ron bowed comically, swinging his arms to his side as he up righted himself. Hermione jumped backwards so as not to get hit and bumped into the bedside table, losing her balance. She was about to fall when Ron swiftly wrapped one strong arm around her waist and pulled her to him, holding her up.

Hermione gasped at the feel of his body against hers and jumped away. "What are you doing?"

"Um, keeping you from falling down?" Ron asked, confused.

"Why?"

"Because falling down hurts." Ron's face flushed red with embarrassment as he began to stutter. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I just didn't think you'd want to fall."

Ginny watched with amusement as Hermione slowly backed away, a mixed look of shock and embarrassment across her own face. "Well, thank you. I.. I'll see you later, Ginny. I need to go to the library. Now."

As soon as Hermione was out the door, Ginny heard Ron let out a deep breath. She scooted over in the bed and patted it for her brother. "You know, you can't act completely clueless all the time and not expect to surprise her when you actually act on it," she told him softly as he sat beside her.

"Act on what?" Ron asked, still staring at the door.

"Your feelings for Hermione." 

Ginny was smiling angelically when Ron turned to her, astonishment written all over his face. "My… what? Ginny, you've gone crazy. I don't.." 

He couldn't finish the argument as Ginny fell into fits of giggles. "Come on, Ron. Which one of us has gone crazy?" If he knew anything about what she'd been doing the last few months, Ginny was sure his answer would be different. But he didn't, so that was a non-issue. "You're all out falling for the girl and we both know it. Hell, even Hermione knows it. You're just too stubborn to show it."

"We're friends, Ginny. Harry, Hermione, and me. Friends." He enunciated "friends" as if to convince her, or himself. 

"So? What's that have to do with it? You can be friends with your lover. Friends make the best lovers."

Ron jumped back to his feet and looked out the window, the door, anywhere but at Ginny. "How would you know that? No. I don't want to know. You don't know that. It's something you've picked up in a silly book. You really need to spend less time with Hermione. Those books will rot your brain. This is pointless anyway. I don't have a lover." His stomach was beginning to churn from the wayward thoughts swirling through his head as he once again looked at his sister, "Scoot over, I think I'm going to be sick."

"Maybe this flu virus is contagious," Ginny offered, knowing he wasn't really sick.

"I really don't think that's it." Ron groaned, laying down next to her.

~*~

Neeley nodded at the older boy beside her and ran down the hall after a bushy haired girl. "Mudblood!" she called.

Hermione stopped and turned her glare on the small child dressed in green robes, "you shouldn't say that. It's not nice."

"Oh, sorry," Neeley smiled sweetly. "I'm new here, I didn't know. Is it true that one of the Gryffindor students is very sick with some kind of mystery disease?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "and where did you hear that? It's not some mystery disease. She's simply got the Muggle Flu. It's really no big deal."

"Oh, I've heard of that. Harmless in Muggles, but the wizarding world isn't used to it so it hits us harder. Right? I read that in a book once. I love to read books."

Hermione couldn't help but like this girl, despite her earlier discretion. "Yes. That is correct. Who are you? I haven't seen you around here before."

"Neeley Mason," Neeley smiled. "I just got here last night. What is the girls name that's sick? Do you think she'd let me talk to her about it? I'm very interested in Muggle diseases. I'd like to write a paper on them and a real interview would be so much more interesting than just a bunch of books. I like to have a variety of sources."

"Her name is Ginny, she's a friend of mine. I'll talk to her and let you know. I'm sure she wouldn't mind though."

"Thank you so much!" Neeley sickened herself with her enthusiasm, Draco better appreciate the lengths she'd gone to. She ran back down the corridor in which she'd come.

"Meet me after breakfast and we'll go!" Hermione yelled after her. Neeley waved a hand in the air in agreement just before she disappeared.

~*~

"Well?" Draco asked, causing the small girl to jump. He'd moved closer and she hadn't expected him to appear where he had.

"She's got the Muggle Flu. Now will you tell me why this was so interesting to you?"

"Did you set up a meeting with her?" he asked, ignoring the question.

"After breakfast. The Mudblood's going to take me."

"Good. And when you're done I want you to get her out of there. Tell her you'd like a tour of the library or something. That should get her away for quite a while."

"Why is it so important for you to talk to this Gryffindor?" Neeley asked, this time with more force. "If I'm going to do anything for you, I want to know why."

"You're cute," Draco sneered. "If you're not going to do anything for me then I have no use for you. If I have no use for you, then I treat you like the other first years. You don't want that. Why don't we just consider that the answer and be done with it."

"You wouldn't. I'd tell your father." A small bit of fear hitched in Neeley's voice as she narrowed her eyes. Yes, she'd still been awake after they got into Hogwarts the night before. This boy wasn't nearly as gullible as he seemed at first. And he was a whole lot meaner.

Draco backed her against the wall and bent to lower his eyes to hers. "No. You wouldn't. What you don't understand is that no matter what my father does to me at home, we're still here the majority of the year. I rule Slytherin. I rule Hogwarts. And a couple of short weeks of trouble at home for me will be nothing compared to a year of trouble for you here."

Neeley swallowed forcefully. Her plan would definitely need tweaked after this conversation. "I understand." 

~*~

"Harry brought you breakfast," Ginny smiled a little as she saw Ron wake up beside her. "But I asked Madame Pomfrey to take it out of here. The smell was making me sick."

"That's okay," Ron rubbed his eyes sleepily. "I can't believe I fell asleep. Of all the girls I've dreamed of waking up to, I swear, Ginny, you were never one of them."

"Yeah, well the feeling is mutual," Ginny laughed. "Now get up. You're making me hot." 

Ron raised a disgusted eyebrow at her and she slapped his arm and laughed, "not like that."

"Good. I was beginning to wonder if you belonged here or at St. Mungo's," Ron grinned. He stood up and straightened the sheets where he'd slept. "How are you feeling?"

"I had a small bout a little while ago, but I feel perfectly fine now. Madame Pomfrey says I can go as soon as I eat and keep the food down."

"That's good. Hermione will be glad to hear it."

"What about you?"

"Well, I was enjoying my time without my sister tagging along, personally," Ron joked.

"Oh yes, and that would be why you've spent every second since you woke up this morning in here with me," Ginny shot back, a similar smile across her lips. "Really, Ron. I'm fine. Go do the Harry, Hermione, Ron thing."

"Well, I would, but.."

"But you don't know how to act around Hermione?" Ginny guessed.

"Right," he sighed. His eyes roamed around the room, looking at everything except his sister; his cheeks flushed pink. 

"She's been sending you hints for months now. Just send her some back and let her know you have seen them."

"She has?" Ron was amazed. How had he missed that?

"Okay," Ginny smiled, "Maybe letting her know you've seen them is a bit too much. I swear mum must have forgotten which order she had us in because I'm way more mature."

"You are not. Girls are just confusing. If she likes me, why doesn't she just say so?"

"Why haven't you?" Ginny retorted, and smiled as her brother's face showed obvious contemplation. "Go eat, Ron," she laughed. "Your stomach growling is about to drive me nuts."

Ron kissed his sister on the forehead, "I'll be back after I eat."

"Don't. Go talk to Hermione or something. I'm fine. I promise."

"Are you saying you don't want me here?"

Ginny smiled and shooed him off, "Yes."

~*~

Draco had watched Neeley and the Mudblood enter and exit the infirmary quickly and thought something must have been wrong. Taking his chances, he started down the hall, passing them just as Neeley had said, "I can't believe she was asleep. Just my luck. We can go back after we tour the library, right?" The Mudblood had agreed. Perfect.

He slid into the infirmary quietly and took a seat next to Ginny's bed. The curtains were closed and he whispered a silencing charm on them before feeling completely comfortable with being there. This was the most public display in months of dating he'd ever dared to make.

Gently he stroked her hair, willing her to wake. Willing things to be different. Willing both of them into a different time when things weren't so hard. Willing yesterday to have never happened. Mostly, willing himself to quit and forget about her. None of which could happen.

"Gods, Ginny, are you okay?" he whispered, brushing his lips softly over her forehead. "I should have known if you were sick. You should have told me. Why didn't you tell me before... I wish it didn't have to happen. I already miss you, you know."

He pulled the blanket up underneath her chin and smiled. As intimate as he'd been with her, this was a scene he'd never had. She looked so innocent and peaceful. The girl that had bitten back with sharper comebacks than he'd ever imagined coming from a Gryffindor mouth looked angelic in her sleep. He could imagine waking up to this every morning for the rest of his life; it tugged at his already broken heart.

"I love you. I do. I don't know how you made me love you. I've never felt this way about anyone, not even my own mother. I never told you. I thought it would make things harder in the end. This is tearing me apart. I know I don't show it, but surely you of all people know me well enough to know. Maybe you don't. I don't know."

In the privacy of the infirmary curtains, with only a sleeping Ginny as audience, Draco allowed a single tear to slide down his cheek before abruptly wiping it away. He felt free to mourn the lost relationship and knew this would probably be his only chance. "I had a dream once, a few weeks ago. I was from a normal family, not the son of Lucius Malfoy. It was our wedding, Ginny. You looked beautiful." He grinned, "you looked even more beautiful later in the dream when the reception was over and your family had all finally left. You wore Slytherin green lace, and not too much of it. God, you were beautiful. I almost tried to break into Gryffindor that night. I wanted to see you, so much."

His hand brushed her cheek and she turned towards him, a small smile gracing her lips. "Are you awake, Ginny? Do you hear babbling? Do you have any idea how much blackmail you have on me or how easy it would be for you to ruin me?" He laughed sardonically. "I know you wouldn't though. I'd never hurt you either. Ron? Probably. Harry? Definitely. But never you."

"Don't you learn from the past, Malfoy?" Ginny finally opened her eyes. "You can't take Ron and you sure can't take Harry. He's beat you every time you've had a round with him."

He closed his eyes to hide the embarrassment. "When'd you wake up?"

"I was never asleep. I just didn't want Hermione in here hovering."

"So now I look like a marshmallow," Draco nodded.

"No. Now you look like an insensitive wart, in Hermione's words." Ginny wouldn't look at him and finally found the energy to shrink back from his touch. She'd kept her eyes closed, wishing for everything not to have happened. Imagining it hadn't. But she knew it had and nothing would change that. It was now or never.

"What? How am I being insensitive? I.. What?" Draco had spilled his heart! What else did she want?

"You tell me it's over then tell me you love me afterwards? How do you expect me to feel, Malfoy?"

"Why are you doing that? Why are you calling me Malfoy?"

"What we had, nothing is left of it. I have to go back to the way things were. If I call you Draco, I'll think of you as Draco. The Draco I knew, not the Malfoy that everyone sees. I can't put myself through that."

"So you're asking me not to care? If that's what you want then say it. I've got plenty of practice not caring." His eyes were darkening and something in them scared Ginny. He'd recoiled every thought and intention of the touches he'd been giving her and stood up.

"I'm asking you to stay away from me." Ginny sat up, her eyes just as cold. "You can't hurt people and expect them to react normally to you. You can't! I loved you too, Draco. I was willing to go against everything my family is just to be with you. What did I get out of it?"

"I thought you understood! My father wouldn't just be disappointed. He wouldn't just yell, or disown me. He'd probably kill me! And if that wasn't bad enough, he'd probably kill you too! My father isn't like yours!"

"Even if I was willing to join his side?" Ginny asked, knowing she could never do it.

"Would you?" 

"No," she whispered. "I couldn't. I thought about it though."

"You thought about that? For me?" Astonishment was rampant on his face but quickly gave way to sadness. "Don't be stupid. I couldn't let you, Ginny. You don't understand what I live with. You try. I know you do. But you never could. You weren't raised with it. Darkness, Ginny, it's lonely in the dark. You know me better than anyone in this place. You probably know me better than anyone at all. Do you think I like knowing that I can't trust anyone around me? Do you think I like watching everything I say, everything I do just in case it gets back to my father? Do you think I like not having a choice about what I want out of life? When you were little, did you dream of being a Medi-Wizard or an Aura (Spelling please, Lib?)? Did you act like a magician or a dancer? Or maybe you dreamed of writing books? I didn't have that luxury, not even as an infant. From the time I was born I've heard nothing but what an asset I will be to the Dark side. While you were dancing or swimming or whatever you did down there with all those brothers, the closest I ever came to playing games was dressing a house-elf up as an Auror and torturing him with Crabbe and Goyle! I hate it! I didn't always hate it, it was all I knew, but…" he shrugged, "sometimes people grow. I'm not allowed to. I've got one path set out for me and I didn't choose it. I don't want that for you. You could be, you will be, so much more."

"It's lonely without you," she whimpered. Hard as he'd tried, he couldn't stop himself as he climbed in the bed beside her and held her against him. One more time.


	8. Chapter 8

Ginny awoke feeling nauseous. Draco was gone. Maybe it had just been a dream. Maybe everything he'd said had been a lie. Wouldn't that be just like him. Maybe… maybe she needed to find a bucket before the biscuits Madam Pomfrey had served her made another appearance.

She groaned as she splashed cool water over her face. She'd thought the biscuits would stay down; oh, how she'd been wrong! Ginny honestly didn't think biscuits went as far as they did. When she turned around, her stomach sank even further as she caught the worried look of Hermione.

"You're still sick?" Hermione asked. "Where is Madam Pomfrey?"

"There's nothing she can do about it. I'm fine, Hermione." Ginny caught sight of a small child dressed in green standing behind her friend. Her eyebrows immediately lowered as she scowled. "Who's that?"

"Oh!" Hermione jumped, embarrassed of her forgetfulness. "This is Neeley. She's very interested in Muggle diseases and wanted to know if she could talk to you about it. I told her I was almost sure you wouldn't mind…"

"Why didn't you just answer her questions? You grew up around this."

Taken aback by Ginny's tone, Hermione didn't know how to answer. She started to speak more than a few times but stopped herself, sure that it would come out entirely wrong. 

For some reason, she now knew how Ron felt. "Ginny, I… She wanted to talk to someone that had been through it and remembered. If I've ever had the flu, I don't remember it. I remember what I've read, but she can read about it if that's what she's interested in." She had the distinct feeling of a Grindylow floundering up on shore. "I'm sorry. I honestly didn't think you would mind."

Ginny waved a submissive hand and looked once again at the child. "I'm sorry. I'm just not much in the mood for people, much less Slytherins."

"Slytherins are people too." The small, fragile voice of the child took Ginny by surprise. 

"Miss, I don't want to bother you, but…"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, don't call me miss!" Ginny laughed. "I'm only a sixth year, seventeen years old! I'm hardly a professor or anything like that."

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I really didn't mean to upset you. I'm going to go find Ron now."

Ginny nodded, seemingly uninterested, although in reality she couldn't bring herself to look at Hermione after the way she'd acted. She waited until Hermione was at the door before calling her name. "Hermione! I… um… I don't know why I acted that way. I'm just…"

Hermione smiled. "No need to explain, Ginny. You're stir crazy, as anyone would be in your situation."

Ginny waited until Hermione left before turning narrow eyes on the child. "Did he send you?"

"Who?"

Neeley's voice was innocent. A little too innocent for a Slytherin. Ginny nodded. "So he did. What does he want?"

"I really don't know what you're talking about. I just wanted you to explain to me what you're feeling and what you know about why you're feeling that way." Neeley was 

beginning to squirm under Ginny's watchful eye, making Ginny almost laugh. The young Slytherins were the best, she'd decided. They had seen the games played and were ready to try out their wings, but not nearly good enough to play them. Especially against her.

"It's no good, Neeley. I know Slytherin as well as I know Gryffindor. I've got some Slytherin in me. You can't walk around here caring like a Gryffindor, pretending to write a paper like a Ravenclaw, and wearing Slytherin green. No one will believe you."

"Your friend believed me," Neeley pointed out.

"Well, I don't," Ginny answered, just as defiantly. "What did he want?"

"How do you know a boy sent me?" Neeley's eyebrows rose. She'd been right; something was going on. "Maybe one of the girls wanted me to check on you."

"No. I know who sent you. The Prince of Slytherin himself. Now tell me why before I wring your scrawny, little neck."

~*~

The room was dark; she must have slept until nightfall. A dark shadow was peering over her; she'd have been frightened if his scent hadn't given him away. "Why do you keep doing this to me, Draco?" Her voice cracked with uncertainty as she tried to sit up, slumber not yet leaving her body.

"You made things rough for me, Ginny. Why'd you tell Neeley you knew it was me that sent her?" His eyes were cold, nothing like they had been days before when he'd held her, opened his soul to her, loved her.

Ginny flinched. "She couldn't do anything to you. You're the almighty Draco Malfoy. She's a little kid."

"Damn it, Ginny! You don't understand anything do you? She's the child of my father's associate. My father takes reports from her as to my activities here! I took a big enough risk sending her here to check on you; now she suspects something. Why would you do that to me?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Ginny sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, looking into his eyes. "You're acting like I was out to hurt you, and I wasn't! I've just as much to lose here as you do. Do you not understand that?"

"No." His voice was icy and made her flinch again. "I don't. You can't tell me your family would take your life. You can't tell me your family would take everything from you if they found out. I've tried to explain my father to you. You don't listen."

"It's you who doesn't listen. I'm beginning to think this entire relationship is one-sided, Draco. No. My family won't kill me. But they'd be disappointed. I could very possibly lose their love, and I know I'd lose their trust. And yes, I would lose everything if they found out. I'd lose you. Do you honestly think with six older brothers at least one of them wouldn't come after you?"

The thought a herd of redheaded oxen chasing him through the castle hit Draco, the consequences of the chase making him sit on the side of the bed as he gasped for air. 

"That wouldn't be nice. That's why we had to end this."

"We didn't end this, Draco. You did. And for someone so willing to end it, you've been showing up at my bedside a lot lately."

"I was worried about you! Is that so awful?"

"No, I suppose not. But it makes it really hard to get over what we can't have anymore." Her voice had gone from strong and angry to soft, sad. It made Draco's heart contract with a severity he couldn't fathom. A lump formed in his throat; he was sure it was his stomach, as he caught sight of her motions. She was removing her necklace. His necklace. "I want you to take this back. I…I can't stand to look at it anymore. It just brings sadness."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." He took the pendant and balled it in his fist, wishing he could squeeze it until there was nothing left of it. No memory.

"How else am I supposed to feel?" Her eyes widened as she attempted to understand him; she never would.

"Feel however you want." He shrugged and stood. "I promise not to bother you again."

"Draco, no…" It was too late; he'd already disappeared through the hospital doors. This time she could tell it was for good. As much as she'd wished for time to cope, now that she had it…she wasn't sure it was going to help. Once again she buried her face into her pillow, letting the tears come silently. Life wasn't fair.

~*~

"Tell me." Draco sneered down at the group of first year Hufflepuffs. They stuttered and backed themselves against a wall, looking around wildly for a place to run.

Draco continued, not getting any satisfaction from the game, but at least it was something to take his mind from other things. Things he could no longer allow himself to think about. He aimed his wand to the middle of the largest of the group's chest and repeated his question. "Tell me why you were walking in my hall."

"We needed to get to class," the smaller boy squeaked.

With a slight wave of his wand and a muttered spell, he smirked as all five boys became joined at the ears. "Well, get to class then. We wouldn't want to be late and get detention."

~*~

A smile lit up Ginny's face as she saw five Hufflepuff first years awkwardly walk into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was immediately at their side. "What happened to you?"

"Draco Malfoy," one of the boys scoffed. "It seems we're not allowed to walk in his hall."

Ginny stood and began to dress. She couldn't let the rest of the school suffer just because she was causing him pain.

"And where are you going, Ms. Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey turned around, her eyes drilling holes through Ginny.

"Well, someone should stand up to him. He can't get away with that."

"I'll inform Professor Dumbledore; you needn't worry." With a quick switch of her wrist, the boys were unlocked and sent on their way. She turned back to Ginny. "You seem stronger this afternoon."

"I feel better, Madam Pomfrey. May I be released?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded and pointed towards a tray. "As soon as you eat something."

"I've been here two weeks now. I feel good. I ate breakfast this morning, and it's still down."

"But you had problems before breakfast. Humor me and eat something; then you can go."

Ginny ate a small portion of her lunch and was happy when it stayed down and she was released. She stalked the halls with new determination. She would be fine. Everything would be fine. It would be as if nothing had ever happened between her and Draco. She'd make sure of it.

~*~

Hermione stared blankly at the parchment. "No," could be heard softly being repeated from her lips. "Surely not," she would say, before flipping the pages of her book and going back to the parchment to scribble a few numbers. The answer came out the same each time. "But that's impossible!" she told herself. "There's no way. Is there?"

Ginny plopped down in a chair beside her unceremoniously. She smiled at her friend. "Guess who's back!"

Hermione looked up, her wide eyes glancing over Ginny then back up to her face. "How are you feeling?" she asked carefully.

"Great. I've been feeling great. Just couldn't shake the last of that flu thing. But I'm back and ready to spend the next month catching up on my studies. Are you willing to help?"

Hermione smiled, pleased she'd been asked. "Of course I am…but… I need to talk to you first. And not here." She looked around quickly to make sure neither Harry nor Ron was within ear shot and added, "Can we go to my room for a minute?"

"Sure." Ginny gave a chipper smile and led the way. Hermione grabbed her things and followed nervously; she had to be wrong. Surely she was wrong. She was rarely wrong.

Ginny sank onto Hermione's bed and looked up as the girl shut the door behind her rather slowly. "What's wrong, Hermione? You look green. Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey. Maybe you've caught what I had. You did spend a lot of time in there looking after me."

"Ginny," Hermione began, fidgeting with her books, "I need to ask you something. A while back, we were talking about a boy you were seeing…"

Ginny frowned, obvious hurt spreading over her face before she could stop it. "That's no longer a problem. It… It's over. I'm not seeing him anymore."

"Oh. That may not be good. Ginny, I have to ask you something rather personal, okay?" She waited for Ginny to nod before continuing. "When we talked, you said some things had happened. Did you and he ever..." Hermione's face turned the most brilliant shade of red as she fumbled for the words. "You know…"

"I know? Um… Oh! Did we ever, you mean, why?" Ginny stuttered, all happiness gone. 

Had she known this was the conversation Hermione wanted to have, she would have found anything else to do!

"Well, I've been researching everything I could find on the Muggle flu, and I think you were misdiagnosed. But maybe you weren't. But it would be easier to look at if I knew… that."

"Hermione," Ginny chided, "Madam Pomfrey has been doing this for a number of years. 

Why would you even doubt her?"

"It's just that you couldn't seem to shake this thing you had, so I started reading up on various things, and, well… you have the symptoms of something else. Of course you'd need to go back to Madam Pomfrey and have her check it out."

"Okay, what are you talking about?" Ginny asked, irritation evident in her voice.

"Well, are you...I mean, is there any way you could be," Hermione swallowed hard and turned away before finishing, "pregnant?"

Ginny stared at her friend, the look of utter horror enough of an answer. "Do. Not. Tell. Ron," were the only words she could choke out.

"He needs to know. Your family needs to know, Ginny. They could help you. The father needs to know, too."

"The father? We haven't even found out for sure if I am!"

"Then you admit it is a possibility?" Hermione asked, sitting beside her friend. "Oh, Ginny, why didn't you tell me?"

Ginny didn't answer. Her face was buried in her hands, her head shaking from side to side as she repeated Hermione's words of earlier. "There's no way! No! Not now!" After several moments, she looked up. "You won't tell Ron, right?"

Hermione thought it over and finally nodded. "On two conditions. First, I want your word that you will. Not immediately, but soon. Second, I want to know who the father is."

"No. You don't," Ginny whispered. Oh, Merlin, what had she done? Her brothers were going to kill her, not to mention Draco. Her father would be disappointed, and her mother even more so. And Draco… He'd said his father could never know. How could she raise a child without help? How could she let a child grow up without a father? And how could this child, assuming there was one, ever have a father?

"Ginny?" Hermione started softly.

She was cut off as Ginny stood up and began pacing the small room. "Do you want to know?" she finally asked, stopping mid-pace. "Do you really want to know?" Hermione nodded, a loyal, caring look in her eye. Ginny sighed and didn't have the heart to look at her friend as the truth spilled from her lips. She heard Hermione gasp and clutch at her chest and was finally able to look up to the pale, ghostlike appearance of her stricken friend, shame evident on her face. "I'm sorry, Hermione. Gods, I'm sorry. Please? Forgive me?" Once again, she found herself tearful.


	9. Chapter 9

Ron sat uncomfortably in the library, Hermione reading diligently at his side. "What are you looking for?" he asked, peeking over her shoulder for a glimpse.

She covered the page quickly. "Nothing. I just? wait? Here it is!" She quickly grabbed her quill and parchment and began copying the spell.

"You're writing a whole lot of nothing," Ron noted, still trying to catch a glimpse of the parchment. He reached over and moved a strand of her hair, carefully savoring the feel of it between his fingers as he held it. Panic struck him as he caught sight of her notes, and he inadvertently tugged on the strand.

"Ow!" Hermione cried, yanking her head back. "What'd you do that for?"

"A spell to determine pregnancy?" Ron's face was almost glowing red. "Who? Is that for you? Hermione! I thought we told each other everything!"

"Ron, this is not something a girl talks about to her male friends. You and Harry are my best friends, but some things are just a little too awkward. Besides, it's n?"

"Too awkward? You're talking to me about too awkward? I was just trying to figure out how to ask you to go to Hogsmeade with me! That would have been awkward! You could have at least told us you were dating someone!"

"I'm not dating anyone!" Hermione said in a harsh whisper.

"Then you?Where is the bloody git? I'll beat him to a bloody pulp for this." Ron stood and started glancing around the library with narrow eyes, his mind running rampant with the possibilities.

"I do wish you'd sit down and shut up," Hermione hissed. "I'm not pregnant. There's no way that I am pregnant. I told you; I'm not seeing anyone." Her eyes widened. "Did you just say you were going to ask me to Hogsmeade?" she squeaked.

"Oh, uh, yeah?" Ron reddened further as he stared down at the table. "Can we forget I said that?"

Hermione sniffed and slammed her book shut. She picked up her parchment and marched past him. "If that's what you want, Ron Weasley, then fine."

"What'd I say?" Ron hurried behind her, his much longer legs having trouble keeping up.

"Do you know how sick I get of hearing you say that?" she snapped, not slowing for even a second.

"What'd I say?" he repeated, bewildered.

"That!"

Ron let out an annoyed grunt as he reached ahead and grabbed her robe, pulling her to an abrupt stop. "You're tiring, Hermione. I have no clue what you're going on about, but I wish you'd stop it and tell me what's wrong." He breathed heavily and slumped against a wall.

Hermione stared at him for a moment before she found the willingness to speak. Ron Weasley had just grabbed her. He'd chased her down and grabbed her! Of all the dreams she'd had, this wasn't the ending any of them had. She groaned with dissatisfaction. Her voice came out much softer than she wanted it to. "Why did you say you were going to ask me to Hogsmeade?"

Ron flushed; he'd hoped this conversation was over. "Well, because I was, if you really want to know. But I understand that you don't want to and that it would make things really weird and?"

"Who said I didn't want to?"

"You do?"

"Well, I mean I would go with someone if I was asked, but I haven't been asked."

Ron and Hermione both stared at the floor space between them when Ron finally reached out and took one of her fidgeting hands in his own. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Hermione looked up and smiled as she nodded.

"Good." Ron smiled back. "Now that we have that in order, who's pregnant?"

Hermione groaned and pulled her hand away, walking once again through the corridor. "I can't tell you that, Ron. I want to. I really do. But I can't; you have to understand."

Ron nodded, but for some reason foreboding took over his body. He pushed it aside, deciding instead to focus on his soon to be date with Hermione. Finally.

~*~

Ginny sat cross-legged on her bed, staring at the cubed piece of glass in her lap. "Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked nervously. Hermione raised an eyebrow and went back to reading her notes. "Wait. I don't think I want to know. I just had the Muggle flu. That's all."

"Would you quit interrupting? If that's all it was, this won't work, and you'll know. Now, I'm almost ready." Ginny sighed and stared back down at the cube in her hands. "All right, hold the cube to your stomach like?yes, like that, and repeat this spell." Hermione held the parchment in front of Ginny's eyes and held her breath as the words came out, a purplish haze surrounding the glass. The haze swirled and waved through the air, first around the object, then around Ginny herself before settling on the top square in a horrid, dark purple X.

Ginny smiled. "It's an X. That means no, right? It crossed out the possibility. I'm not pregnant!"

Hermione wanted to cry as she reached down and turned the object half a turn so that the plus sign was more apparent to her friend. "Not exactly, Ginny."

"Don't tell me that," Ginny groaned. "The spell didn't work properly. That's all. Bloody hell, how am I going to tell Ron? Or Draco. Oh Merlin, I have to tell Draco. That means I have to talk to Draco. And that means I have to see Draco."

"Or…there are other possibilities," Hermione offered. She closed her eyes tight and sank down on the edge of the bed beside her friend. "I mean?no one would ever blame you, really. If you just… There are many families that can't have babies. They wouldn't have to know the child was a Malfoy. Or if you really wanted the baby, then no one would need to know who the father is. I wouldn't tell."

Ginny sat quietly, willing her mind to stop spinning. How could she make a decision like this? How could she make this choice alone? She shouldn't have to! But? Hermione did have a point. Draco didn't have to know. Ron didn't have to know about Draco. It was a good suggestion, in all aspects except one. She knew, in her heart of hearts, she had to at least let Draco know. Even if he was angry. Even if he didn't help her make the decisions that needed made. Even if he…hated her.

And he would.

She sniffled and looked up, oceans filling her brown eyes in a way they hadn't in years. Since the Chamber. She hadn't thought anything would be as hard as that. Her life was supposed to be cake after all of that. But she was a Weasley. Easy didn't seem to be in their planning, in their genes. They always made it, though; they always came out victorious. As would Ginny.

Somehow.

She shook her head. "He deserves to know. I'll…tell him. I'm not ready to tell anyone else, but I'll tell him."

Hermione released an agitated sigh. "I thought you learned, Ginny. Draco is evil. He's evil like his father. He won't help you!"

Ginny flushed with rage. "You don't even know him, not really! He may help. He may do something. And he's much better at planning than you or I. He may have some kind of idea." The anger subsided quickly as she glanced back down at her wringing hands. "And even if he doesn't, I can't just keep it a secret. That would be wrong. He deserves to know."

"I've known him for seven years. That's enough for me," Hermione said with distaste. "I don't even know how this happened, and frankly I don't want to. I'll keep secret who the father is because I don't think it'll hurt anything. But if you're going to continue to be involved with him? Ginny! He's evil. You'll get hurt. Look what's already happened! You can't just?"

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do! I realize you're trying to help, but if it were Ron, would you not even tell him that he's going to have a child somewhere in the world? 

Would you, Hermione?"

"Well, Ron just asked me on our first trip to Hogsmeade, so I don't think babies are in the near future plans. Besides, Ron isn't connected with the Dark Lord. Ron's good."

Ginny just stared, her jaw slightly open in shock. "Ron finally asked you, and you hadn't told me yet?"

Hermione blushed. "We've been a little busy," she pointed out. "And it wasn't the most romantic thing in the world."

Ginny held her laugh in check. "What'd he say?"

Hermione relayed the story, laughing a bit that anyone could think she was pregnant. Her laughter died down slowly as she saw the look on Ginny's face. "You have to do something," she sighed.

"I know." Her frown was back as she stared out the window in heavy contemplation. She could see a tiny green dot flying high above the Quidditch pitch and followed it with her eyes for as long as she could before it dropped down out of sight. "Do you think you could get me Harry's invisibility cloak without raising suspicion?"

"I won't help you see Malfoy."

"I'm not asking you to. We've been over this. I just need to tell him about?this. I swear it, Hermione."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Hermione nodded and disappeared through the door.

~*~

Draco ducked a Bludger and rolled before coming back up in his normal graceful manner. His eyes, however, gave away his anger. His face was firm and impassive, but something in the way he looked about his team gave him away. Maybe they just knew him well.

It didn't matter.

Someone was in trouble. Quite a bit of trouble by the way Draco's broom was racing around the pitch and toward the rest of the Slytherin team. It was quite funny to bystanders to watch one under-grown, under-developed, blonde Slytherin make so many… bigger… Slytherins quake on their broomsticks. His anger, his temper was phenomenal to all who had ever heard of Draco Malfoy.

This thought alone scared Ginny, even from her secluded spot. Secluded in the stands. Under Harry's invisibility cloak. It was the only way she could get close enough to him to tell him. And, before she told him, she would enjoy a few last moments of watching him, unhindered by the hate that was sure to come.

"Do you think," Draco yelled, his broom coming to an abrupt stop in front of both Crabbe and Goyle, "that you can learn to hit before the game this week? I should replace you now! Go find Millicent Bulstrode; she'll teach you properly."

The team snickered, mostly glad it wasn't them sitting in front of Draco. Crabbe and Goyle stared at him, awestruck. It was Crabbe who first got the nerve to speak. "Millicent doesn't even play Quidditch."

"And yet she could still take both of you," Draco drawled, his sneer evident even from Ginny's position in the stands. "If you do it right, maybe I won't be ducking the bloody thing instead of catching the Snitch."

Ginny was glad to see the boy nod; the last thing she needed was for Draco to be in a bad mood even before her… joyful news. She bit down on her lip as she watched him fly. Practice would be over soon; she wanted to memorize. She watched his graceful ascent into the air and death-defying descent toward the ground. It took her breath away. Just before he became one with the surface of the pitch, he used the muscles she'd personally examined and found to be more than adequate to pull himself back up. He looked happy out there. Peaceful. At ease. He was the Draco she'd known, not the one everyone else knew. She loved him. She'd never told him that, thank the gods. Today would be the turning point, the day she'd look back on for the rest of her life with regret. Yet she had no other choice.

The team was huddled mid-pitch. She couldn't discern what Draco was telling them, but they all listened intently. She almost laughed. Almost. She knew better. She stood quietly and made her way under the stands. Draco always went under the stands before showering. He considered it his cool down period. Plus, it gave the rest of the Slytherins time to get out of the dressing room, so he could have it to himself. He hated being crushed in there with so many sweaty classmates. The thought sickened him. Today, however, he wouldn't be alone. Ginny would be waiting for him.

The sun was beginning to set by the time he walked through the crack in the stands. The orange rays reflecting off his silvery hair were almost brilliant. Ginny gasped, unthinking, at the sight. What she wouldn't do to have the situation different! Maybe he would just hold her and kiss her and tell her everything would be okay. He'd tell her that he'd take care of her and the baby, to hell with his father and his family! He'd tell her… 

It didn't matter what he'd tell her in this fantasy land that had seeped into her brain. That land didn't exist. Ginny was stuck in reality.

Draco turned upon hearing the soft gasp from the darkness. His wand already raised, he narrowed his eyes. "Who's there?"

Slowly, Ginny let the cloak slip from her body, announcing herself physically rather than verbally. She watched him closely, ready and willing to read any emotion that got past him. She watched in vain. His cold stare never faltered, not that she'd expected it. "I need to talk to you," she whispered.

He took a step forward, then stopped. "What about, Weasley? Couldn't stay away? No, I suspect not."

"Be serious for just a minute, Draco?" Ginny asked. Her body was at war. Part of Ginny wanted to run to him and make him hold her, comfort her, acknowledge her. The other part threatened to draw her wand and turn him into the toad he was acting like. Instead, she stood still.

"Be serious?" His contempt rang through the empty column of boards. "Are you serious, Ginny? You tell me that you can't stand to look at me, so I give you space. Then, you show up in the one place you know I'll be alone. For a Gryffindor, you don't exactly play by the rules."

Ginny rubbed her eyes in frustration and let out a sigh. She looked at the walls, the dirt, even his broomstick, everywhere but at Draco. It was now or never; she was about to lose her nerve. "And I meant it," she whispered, "but something else came up. The rules have changed."

"Such big words for someone who sees the world in black and white," he interrupted, but thought better of doing it again as her glare hit him full force.

"Have you ever thought what our kids might look like, Draco?"

Her question caught him off guard. He tried to speak but couldn't. Where the hell had that come from? Instead, he shrugged. "I don't see where it's relevant. You know it won't ? can't ? happen."

"Oh, but you're wrong, sweet." She almost laughed. She would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. "It can happen, and it will. In about seven months."

A Stupefying Charm wouldn't have worked better to catch Draco's attention. "What?"

"Do you need me to use Sonorus?" she asked, making sure her hands were not on her wand as she did. The last thing she needed right now was for all of Hogwarts to hear this conversation.

"No! No?" Draco dragged his hand through his hair and looked back up at her. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "But how?" She only looked at him; they both knew how. He began to pace. His steps seemed louder than they had upon his entry to the tunnel somehow. 

Maybe it was the huge boulder she'd just dropped on his shoulders.

Suits him right though, she thought; now she didn't have to carry it alone.

"Then you lied to me." He had stopped pacing and turned, full of rage, toward her. "You bloody lied to me."

"I did not! I'm telling you right now."

"In the hospital. You knew, and you lied." He laughed sardonically. "The Muggle flu. How could I not have known?"

"Because I didn't know," Ginny suggested. "No one knows but you and I. And… Hermione."

"Granger knows? And she knows..." He pointed to himself and rolled his eyes when she nodded. "Well, that was smart. The whole school will know by the time we go inside."

"No, they won't," she whispered. "She's promised to keep that to herself. But I have to tell Ron about the baby."

"The baby," Draco repeated. "That sounds so odd. Father. I'm going to be a father." He seemed to be in a daze, understandably, so Ginny carefully inched her way toward him. He scrubbed his scalp again, rigidly taking her into his arms as she nestled close.

For several moments, Ginny lived out her fantasy world. He kissed her forehead and told her everything would be okay. He held her. He comforted her. Just as he should. Finally, reality hit as he pushed her away suddenly. She looked up, startled. "Why didn't you use a bloody contraception charm?" he asked. Malfoy was back, meaner than ever. She saw it written all over his face; he'd remembered their situation.

"Why didn't you?" she countered, just as vehemently.

"I've never had to! The girl has always taken care of that."

"Yeah, well, I've never had to either. For much more obvious reasons, like, I don't know any. You knew I'd never done this before!"

He shook his head and began to pace again. "What do you want me to do then?"

She laughed a little, sadly. "I don't want you to do anything. I just thought you had the right to know."

He nodded before turning his back to her. "Well, now I know."

"Now you know," she repeated. The softness in her voice, the finality, hurt them both.

"Bloody Gryffindor," he muttered as he walked toward the crack and out of the tunnel. 

"Some things are better left unsaid."

Ginny wholeheartedly agreed as she quietly watched him stalk into the dressing rooms. "Some things are," she whispered. "I love you, Draco."


	10. Chapter 10

Neeley sat primly on the couch in front of Draco, an evil gleam over her face. "I'm getting ready to post an owl to your father; shall I say hello?"

"I'm not in the bloody mood, Neeley," he mumbled, looking glumly into the fire. "Go away."

"I was just trying to…"

"You were just trying to annoy me, and it worked, so go away," he cut in.

"All right." Neeley rose to leave, taking her parchment and quill in hand. Just before she walked away, however, she turned back. "Do you think your father will enjoy being called Grandpa or merely Gramps?"

Draco froze, his eyes slowly climbing until they reached her evil, ugly, smirking little face. "What did you just say?"

Neeley knew she'd caught him off guard, and the victory coursed through her veins like wildfire. "I'm sure you heard me."

"I did." He nodded and stood, hovering menacingly over the small first year. He watched her expression intently as his mind whirled. Contrary to popular opinion, Draco Malfoy did think out his every move and sentence, very carefully in fact. Being the Prince of Slytherin didn't come naturally; oh no, it never would. He did have a knack that made it easier for him than most, but it still took forethought. Everything took forethought; that was what made him Slytherin in the first place. The ability to think out and foresee every possible scenario of every possible word and movement of his muscles. Of course, he thought to himself with anguish, there was currently one situation he hadn't fully thought out. He sat back down, curiously ignoring the girl. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The gamble didn't pay off. The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention as he heard the girl laugh on her way up the stairs. There would be hell to pay.

"Wait!" He scrambled up and to the staircase. "Why are you laughing?"

Neeley raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic display. "Nervous?"

"Not at all," Draco drawled. "Curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, Draco."

"The cat won't be the only thing if you send that letter."

Neeley stopped; this was the Draco she knew. She thought for a moment – not nearly as composed as he – then smiled. "I don't think I believe you. You wouldn't actually harm me; you'd have to answer to your father and mine."

"I have ways, Neeley. Keep in mind that a few months of safety at home is nothing compared to what you'll get the rest of the year at Hogwarts."

"I remember," came her nonchalant reply as she skipped up the girls' steps. Steps he could not follow her on to continue the conversation. Draco let out a strangled groan and returned to his seat.

~*~

"You've told him?" Hermione asked gently. She needn't have; she could tell by the sticky trail of dried tears on Ginny's cheeks as she sat close to the girl.

"I did."

"What did he say?"

Ginny looked over to her friend, a fresh batch of tears falling. "How could I have been so stupid, Hermione? How could I have betrayed everything I knew for him?"

For once in her life, Hermione was speechless. She had little experience in matters of the heart and even less in the subject at hand. Instead of speaking, she chose to cover Ginny's shaking hand with her own in what she hoped was a comforting nature.

"I knew he wouldn't take it well," Ginny continued. "I wasn't expecting snuggles or comforting words or anything like that. But he didn't have to be so _cold_!"

Hermione squeezed her hand lovingly. She knew she was the only person Ginny would, or could, confide in. She also knew that Ginny would have been a great friend had the situation been reversed. Not that it would have been. Draco Malfoy! She shuddered; he was barely even human! She still didn't understand that part and probably never would. 

But then again, Ginny would probably never understand what made Ron so attractive to her, and he was attractive.

Ginny looked up. "I don't want to tell my family."

"I don't blame you." Hermione smiled sadly. "But you must, and you know it."

Ginny nodded. "I don't know how. I can't simply send them an owl saying, 'I'm having a future Death Eater's baby. How's everything at home?' It wouldn't be right. They deserve better than that. They deserve better than me."

"Don't you dare say that, Ginny Weasley!" Hermione admonished. "Your family loves you and… Even though they'll be shocked, it won't make them love you any less."

"I know, but I can't stand the thought of them all being so disappointed in me. They've always stood behind me, protected me. And now… I don't know, Hermione. I don't think 

I could bear seeing them pity me again, like they all did after the Chamber of Secrets. 

And not only will they be disappointed in me, they'll be disappointed in themselves for not protecting me from this. They shouldn't do that. They didn't cause this. They would have stopped it had they known."

"Yes," Hermione agreed, "but what's done is done, and the Weasleys stand behind each other until the end. They'll be disappointed, I'm sure. And you'll have to face the wrath of your mother –" She smiled a little as Ginny cringed. "But," she continued, "they'll also realize that this baby is part Weasley. Part of them."

"How can you be so kind to me after what I've done?" Ginny asked in earnest. "I've been absolutely horrible, and you're still here. Anyone else would have left me by now."

"I'm your friend," Hermione said simply. "But now I've got class. You should write to your mum though, and if you want, I'll go with you to tell Ron."

She nodded. "Hermione? I'm still not telling who the father is." Hermione nodded solemnly on her way out the door. Ginny sat for a moment before moving to her desk and picking up the quill. 

Dear Mum and Dad,

I've done something really horrible, and I'd rather not tell you by…

She crumpled the parchment into a small ball and tossed it in the bin before starting again.

Mum and Dad,

How are you? Things aren't going well here. They're not going as expected. I need to tell you –

The new parchment met the same fate as the last. Ginny sighed as she tried again.

Mum and Dad,

I love you. I want you to keep that in mind until you finish reading this letter. Are you sitting down? Please do.

This letter is the hardest thing I've ever had to put into words. It's rather like writing in a diary, only I know that when you write back, it'll truly be you. Still, it's scary. I found out something today that I have to tell you. I thought about not telling you, but that doesn't seem to be an option. I don't want you to be disappointed in me, but I'm afraid that isn't an option with the news this letter will bring you. Are you sitting down now?

I reckon there's no point in beating around the bush about this. I've got to get it out sometime in this letter. I wish I could tell you in person, but you deserve to know now and not be the last to find out.

I'm beating around the bush again, aren't I? Well, here goes. I'm going to be bringing a new Weasley into the family in a matter of months. I'm not sure yet how many; I haven't seen a MediWitch about it. Actually, you're the first people I've told, except Hermione, who actually told me.

The baby's father won't be part of our lives. It's a decision I have made and will stick with. I know you're wondering what I'm going to do and how I'm going to raise a baby. To tell you the truth, I don't know yet. I do know that I was brought up better than what I've done, and, with that love and support in my background, I can overcome this.

I'll be waiting for your reply, and I hope I haven't lost your love and faith forever.

Your only daughter,

Ginny

Ginny read over the letter and still didn't like it, but it was all she could come up with. Slowly she folded it and stuck it in her pocket, fresh tears staining her face. It would have to work; she simply didn't have the strength to compose anything better. Not today. And she still had to tell Ron; it wouldn't do for him not to know when the inevitable Howler showed up tomorrow.

Without thought, Ginny walked to the Owlery, taking no time to change her mind. Flitterbloom eagerly met her at the door. The poor thing. Ginny loved that owl, but it rarely got to take a letter anywhere fun. She tied the letter to Flitterbloom's ankle and held out a nibble of her biscuit from breakfast. The young owl was almost smiling at her, which made a small smile appear across Ginny's face as well, if only for a brief moment.

~*~

"Draco! Wake up, boy!"

Draco bolted upright in bed, hitting his head on the headboard. He looked around, but found no one awake to be calling his name. Lazily, he lay back down, confused. It was Sunday, for crying out loud. Wasn't he allowed a lie in?

"Draco Malfoy, get your arse out of bed and get over here."

He looked around again, his eyes wide with horror. He knew that voice, upon hearing it fully awake. He should have known that voice in his sleep; he'd just been too deep in a wonderful, fully erotic dream to listen to it properly. "Father?"

Sleep finally leaving him fully, Draco remembered the small, enchanted, diamond figurine his father had given him to take to school, "to enhance communication should the need arise." He pulled it out of the drawer and sat it on his up-drawn knees, looking into the snake's mouth where his father's stern face stared back. There was absolutely no doubt in Draco's mind where this conversation was leading, and he wasn't looking forward to it.

"Good evening, Father." His voice sounded smaller than he'd hoped, and he winced. _No weakness!_ his head screamed.

"I've just received a letter from Neeley," Lucius began.

Any hope Draco secretly held that his father might have been contacting him for a different reason fled as his heart plummeted to his stomach. His face, however, kept its carefully trained appearance as he coolly nodded and asked, "What did she say?"

"I think you know full well what she said!" Lucius' voice boomed through the room.

Draco glanced around, making sure his dorm mates hadn't woken. "What did she say?" he asked again, this time more rigidly.

A cruel smile crept across Lucius' lips. It made Draco sick to see it; he'd only seen it a few times, and none of them included appetizing outcomes for the people involved. "I've been informed," Lucius said coldly, "that I'm to have an heir."

"You have an heir, Father. Me."

"All right then." Lucius nodded in agreement, noting with amusement that his son was fidgeting fiercely with the figurine. "I've been informed that you are to have an heir."

Without missing a beat, Draco smirked. "And which of the young ladies of Slytherin would be so lucky as to carry a Malfoy heir?"

"Young ladies?" Lucius almost snorted. "I'd hardly call any of the witches in Slytherin at this time young ladies. Neeley, however, did not inform me of this. I was hoping you would shed some light on the subject."

Draco cocked his head, silently praying thanks to the gods that the girl had been smart enough not to play all her cards… yet. "This is the first I've heard of it. You know how women talk, Father. Neeley probably heard a conversation in the girls' dorm that she wasn't supposed to. But I will find out."

"You do that," Lucius said, from the snake's mouth. "I expect a full report by Monday. 

Be careful, boy. Many girls would try any treacherous deceit to become part of the Malfoy line. If this is true, be sure of it."

Draco nodded. It was true, all right. "I'm sure it's only a nasty rumor."

"Let's hope so." Lucius gave a small smile. "Although, a new heir would be most valuable. Insurance that the bloodline will not be fading anytime soon."

Draco gave a small snort of disgust. "Are you saying you'd approve of such a scandal on the Malfoy name?"

"Of course not!" The bit of dreamy cover that had overtaken Lucius' face disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Report back to me." He disappeared.

Draco tossed the diamond snake figurine back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Neeley would pay come morning. He settled down into his pillows, waiting for his heart rate to return to normal, so that he could fall back asleep.

~*~

"Ms. Weasley."

Ginny looked up to see a distraught Professor McGonagall standing in the entry to the common room. Professor McGonagall rarely came into the dormitory, which led Ginny to only one conclusion - her mother had received the letter. "Yes, Professor?"

"Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you, if you don't mind." 

She wasn't sure, but Ginny thought she could see disappointment and disgust written over the woman's face. "All right." She nodded and stood, following the woman through the halls.

She wasn't at all surprised to find her mother sobbing once she entered Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Mum…" Ginny's voice caught as her mother's tear-stained face looked up to meet her. Guilt washed over her once again as she stood next to her rigid head of house.

"Miss Weasley." Ginny turned to find Professor Dumbledore addressing her and did her best to give him her full attention. "Have a lemon drop?" he asked, holding a small crystal bowl in front of her. Ginny took the sour candy and popped it into her mouth to ease its sudden bout of dryness. "Please, have a seat."

As Ginny sat, her mother broke into a fresh round of sobs. "Does everyone know?" Ginny asked, her voice much less than a whisper. Embarrassment plagued her as she looked around the room. "Mum? Does everyone know?"

Red faced, the woman looked up once more. "You were bold enough to do it, Ginny. Why wouldn't you want everyone to know?" There was the anger Ginny had been anticipating. "Where's Harry?"

"Harry?" Ginny asked. "Why would Harry need to be here for this?"

"This isn't just your doing, Ginny! You can try to be brave and heroic all you want, but someone else was in on this, and he needs to face it with you. I want to know what you're going to…"

Ginny's eyes widened, her mouth forming a perfect "O" as she realized what her mother was saying. "Mum, Harry has no need to be here."

Molly was crying again, worse this time. "You mean to tell me that Harry isn't the baby's father? Ginny Weasley! I want to know right this minute!"

No, she really didn't.

"I'm sorry, Mum; I won't tell you that. The baby's father won't be a part of this."

Molly looked at her youngest born with narrow eyes. "I want to know his name, Ginny."

"You won't know his name, Mother. I'm sorry. I wish I could change things, but that is one decision I won't change."

"Does the boy know about the baby?"

"Yes, he does."

"And what did he have to say?"

Ginny thought for a moment; sometimes the truth was best. "He said that sometimes things are better left unsaid."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Molly asked, jumping from her seat and turning wildly from her daughter to Dumbledore to McGonagall. "Sometimes things are better left unsaid? Does that mean he'll take no responsibility for this child?"

"I asked him not to…"

Ginny's whispered words almost got lost in her mother's rant. Molly Weasley cried. She yelled. She turned a brilliant shade of red and went quiet. She hugged her daughter and turned her back on her. Not even Headmaster Dumbledore's gentle coaxing could calm the woman until she was ready to be calmed. But nothing hurt Ginny as much as the quiet after the storm.

"Come here, my Ginny," Molly said softly. With gentle tears falling across her cheeks, she gestured for her daughter and hugged the small image of herself as she pulled her into her lap. "It's not much longer we'll be able to do this."

Ginny let a soft sob escape her. "I'm so lucky to have you, Mum."

"We'll get through this. We've been through worse. At least babies are something I've got experience with." Molly smiled sadly as her daughter gave a small nod. "Tell me though, Ginny; do you love the baby's father?"

"Yes," came the small whisper.

"Then why would you deprive him of the beauty of his child?"

If there was one weakness to Molly Weasley, it was her love of family. Ginny's mother would probably understand the reasoning if she were to admit who the father was, but that would cause far too many complications. "Everyone is better off, Mum."

"Is the baby better off being fatherless? Do you think so little of this boy?"

"No! I don't. Just trust me. Please? I know this is the best way to go."

It saddened Molly to no end that her daughter thought she couldn't confide in her, but she respected the decision which had been made. She nodded gently and held her daughter a few more minutes, stroking her soft hair as she'd done when the girl was a child. She was _still_ a child! Molly fought off the oncoming torrent of tears and stayed strong for her daughter. Ginny would need all the strength and support the Weasley family could muster, and far be it from Molly Weasley not to lead the pack in the right direction. There would be time later to break down; now was not the time.


	11. Chapter 11

The whole of the Great Hall seemed to be quite noisier than usual as Ron Weasley crooked his neck to try to catch a good look at every male in the population. Why wouldn't these people sit down? He glanced to the Ravenclaw table. Terry Boot? Michael Corner? She'd dated him after all. Maybe Anthony Goldstein? None of the choices really caught him as a choice Ginny would make. Of course, getting pregnant didn't seem all that Ginny-ish either. Ron's eyes whipped around to the Hufflepuff table. Justin Finch-Fletchley looked quite content downing his meal. Of course, so did Wayne Hopkins and Ernie Macmillan. Ron wasn't sure a Hufflepuff would have it in him to be so calm, cool, and collected with the thought of the entire clan of Weasleys breathing down their necks. Calm. Cool. Collected. Ron immediately turned his head to the Slytherin table. That had to be it. It was a Slytherin! But...Ginny wouldn't do that. Would she? Then again, Ginny surprised him more often than he let on. The thought of Crabbe or Goyle anywhere near his sister almost made Ron laugh. Even if she was pregnant, she wasn't stupid. Malfoy sat between them, seemingly studying his dinner. That's right, you bloody prat! Look for the poison. Someone'll do it one of these days! Ron thought with a slow smile. Blaise Zabini sat across from Malfoy, looking somewhat anxious. Was it Zabini? Ron's fist curled into a tight ball until he saw a spoonful of pudding fly out of Goyle's spoon and barely miss Zabini's shoulder as it landed smoothly in the back of Megan Jones' hair. Nott seemed to be sitting off to the side, always the loner. Ron eyed him for a moment and decided Slytherin just wasn't Ginny's style. But what was Ginny's style? As if a Bludger had hit him in the head, Ron turned his paranoid eyes to his own table. Colin Creevey seemed to hang around Ginny quite a bit. Then there were Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. She'd dated both of them, briefly. No, Seamus was out. She'd already almost lost Lavender as a friend once. Ginny wouldn't do that. Neville Longbottom? He wouldn't know how. "Ron? What are you looking at?" Ron's eyes opened as wide as the platters before him. Harry! Ginny had been chasing Harry for...well...since before she'd even met him! He turned accusatory eyes towards his friend – ex-friend – at which Harry threw up his arms. "It wasn't me, I swear it." "Then how did you know what I was thinking?" Ron asked. His eyes narrowed marginally. Hermione placed a hand on Ron's shoulder gently. "Everyone knows what you're thinking. At least, everyone that knows. You know if Ginny wanted you to know, she'd tell you. Getting yourself upset like this isn't helping anyone." "I'm going to kill him when I find out who it is," Ron announced after a moment's thought. "Maybe that's why she won't tell you," Harry said. "Maybe she really likes this person." Hermione nodded emphatically, realizing too late that it drew Ron's attention to her. "What do you know?" Hermione jumped at the low calmness of his voice. "I don't think this it's any of our business." She felt instantly guilty. Harry and Hermione were relieved when Ron's attention went back to studying the tables of the Great Hall. At least it kept him occupied. He'd been understandably temperamental since Ginny had hit him with the news of her pregnancy. Harry and Hermione weren't sure how much more they could take, and it had only been a few hours. ~*~ Ginny sat quietly against the wall of an empty corridor. She wasn't altogether sure where she was, but then again it didn't really matter. She was away from people. Away from Ron. The look on his face when she'd broken the news had instantly rivaled her mother's. The disappointment. The anger. The self-accusation. She couldn't bear to look at him through dinner. It didn't matter anyway; most of what she ate came right back up. Skipping the evening meal had seemed the most logical solution. She pulled her knees up to her chin and held her legs snuggly against her. She'd have to face him sometime; she knew that. Eventually all of this would get easier. But now? Now everything was going too fast. She'd only just found out and already hurt so many people. Her mother. Ron. Hermione. Draco. Draco. She pushed one hand over her stomach and rested it there gently, wanting more than anything to cry. It must have been the hormones. Closing her eyes, she could see everything she dreamed so clearly. If Draco were anyone but Draco, things would be so much easier. They could be married and maybe have a small cottage like the Burrow. They'd raise their baby to be good and kind with love and discipline, just as her mother had done. But Draco wasn't anyone else. He was Draco Malfoy. Ginny wouldn't let her baby pay for her mistakes. She'd seen the good in him, but all the while she'd known she would be the only person to see it. She'd always known what they had was nothing more than a fling. Regardless of the love she felt, and maybe he felt it too, she'd known it couldn't turn into anything more. So why had she done this? Why had she let things get so far? She sniffed, suddenly, and threw her head back. She wouldn't cry. She would never cry. It was her own fault! All she could do was be strong for herself and for the baby. And that's exactly what she would do. Opening her eyes, Ginny became aware of the green robes in front of her. Slowly she looked up, following the green material, until she met a pair of sympathetic silver eyes. A small, sad smile graced her lips before she could stop it. "So much for being alone," she whispered. "You don't look like you need to be alone," he whispered back, holding his hand out to help her up. Ginny looked at him in shock, before accepting the proffered hand and pulling herself to her feet. Was this really Draco? "I told Ron and my mother," she blurted out. "I know," Draco replied, though he wouldn't look at her. "I saw him glaring at everything that moved in the Great Hall. You didn't tell him it was me?" "No." "Why not?" He noticed her hands were cold, likely from sitting so long on the stone floor, and rubbed them with his own to warm them. "I didn't think it was any of his business." Draco nodded and quietly led her down the hall. Without another word, he led her up a few flights of stairs, confident that the remainder of the student body was still engrossed in eating, until he reached the seventh floor. A moving tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy came into full view. It was then Ginny knew where they were headed. The Room of Requirement. "We need to talk," he told her. "We already talked," she replied, attempting to pull her hand from his. He kept a strong hold, and as they entered the room, Ginny saw a fireplace glowing warm orange. A leather couch adorned one wall of the small space with a small mahogany table sitting in front of it. On the table sat a plate of food and two glasses of pumpkin juice. Ginny was quite glad to see it as she was starting to regret missing dinner. Draco only let go of her hand when he was sure she'd stay and eat. He leaned against the wall as he watched her practically shovel food to her mouth and laughed. "Slow down before you choke." Ginny looked up, pink tingeing her cheeks as she realized how obviously pathetic she must look. "What did you want to talk about?" She noticed the rigidity of his muscles as he sat next to her on the couch. A small smile graced her as she basked in the wonderment of him; only he could make such an obviously awkward situation seem so...simple. "Have you seen Pomfrey yet?" he asked. His voice was as trained as his face; it never showed emotion unless he wanted it to. It made him impossibly irritating when she was trying to figure out what he was up to. "Yeah." Ginny nodded. "Well?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "Would it hurt you to ask how I am? Or how the baby is?" "I just did."  
  
"No, I believe you said 'well,' which does not constitute 'how are you.'" Draco's lip curled up in what they both knew was a general look of annoyance. "Fine then, how are you?" "Well, since you asked," Ginny smiled sweetly, "I'm sick to death about every day. I'm too tired to go to class and do homework, so my grades are dropping. My brother can barely look at me, my mother is disappointed, and I don't even want to think of the rest of them. And to top it all off, I have no idea what I'm going to do with a baby by myself. But, other than that, I'm great. What about you?" Annoyance once again flashed over Draco's face. "If that was meant to make me feel guilty, it won't work." "Of course it won't," she snapped. "You'd have to feel something to feel guilty." "Would that be a touch of sexual frustration, I hear?" Draco asked, his face donning the most irritating smirk. "Of course not!" Her lips twisted into a pretty little pout. "It's so easy for you, isn't it? You don't have to take any of this seriously. You don't have to do anything. It's all me now. Well, I didn't do this by myself, you know." "Yeah, I remember." Before Ginny knew it was happening, his long, aristocratic fingers were splayed across her belly. She'd done well in forgetting for a while how good his touch felt, but it all flooded back. It didn't feel like the familiar sexual sensation she felt sometimes, but just a warm, fuzzy coziness she'd been longing for without even knowing it. She sat rigidly for a while before finally dwelling in the comfort that he wasn't moving and relaxed with her head on his shoulder. Draco closed his eyes, his nose nestled into her fragrant locks as he memorized the scene, storing it for later recollection in his life. He knew, with his family, he'd need the good memories to reflect upon. He didn't want her to go through this alone; he wanted to be there for his child, no matter how much the thought of a little Draco Jr. scared him. But what could he do? Was it possible to deceive his father and get everything? He mentally shook his head at the thought. If his father knew, Ginny wouldn't be safe. As soon as the "heir" was out... He didn't want to think about it. No, that wouldn't work at all. He sat up suddenly, withdrawing his hand. Ginny immediately felt the coldness slam into her where his hand had once kept her warm. "I'll do my part and keep you safe; that's all I can offer." She nodded softly, expecting no more. "Watch for the sign and meet me here when it's safe. Then you can tell me about everything." Again, she was grateful for what he could give. It was, after all, better than nothing. At least she wouldn't feel like she was going through this completely alone. Sometimes. She gasped as he carelessly threw himself at her, kissing her abruptly and shoving his hand into hers before exiting the room. Only after he'd left did she open her palm and find her little dragon necklace lying there. She smiled to herself and clenched her hand around it. She could no longer wear it, but it would be something for the baby to have – from its father. ~*~ Draco knew without a doubt that meeting her once was risky; continued meetings could very well turn dangerous to an extreme he wasn't willing to go. But he couldn't help himself. He had to see her. He had to know. So he walked quietly back to the dungeons, not at all upset with his actions in the Room of Requirement. He wished he weren't so weak when it came to that girl, but he was. Lucius had always ingrained it into Draco's head that weakness was an unimaginable shame to one's pride, unless one could use that weakness to gain power. In his younger years, Draco had thought the saying rather stupid and contradictory. Now he understood. Draco muttered the password into the Slytherin dungeons, still deep in thought, and passed through the opened wall. He never noticed two pairs of malicious eyes glued to him as Neeley whispered excitedly in the ear of none other than Pansy Parkinson. Pansy turned her tongue to pass the newest wicked gossip to Daphne Greengrass, who in turn passed the news to Tracey Davis. By the time Draco reached the stairs leading to his dormitory, Tracey had told Millicent Bulstrode, and the rumor was beginning to circulate through the boys. Blaise Zabini was the first brave enough to confront Draco, and the confrontation was the first Draco noticed of the strange happenings in Slytherin. "Malfoy!" Draco stopped and turned, his impassive face showing nothing but boredom. "Rumor's going around you finally made a bloody mistake, mate." Neeley's eyes widened as she saw Draco's glance flicker quickly to her then back. Maybe she should have thought this through just a little more carefully. "I wonder where that could have come from?" His voice was harsh, threatening, steely. He didn't care. He watched the first year squirm, and it brought a smirk to his face. "Shall I guess?" He brought his fingers up to stroke his chin as he pretended to think. "I would think you've heard I am to father a child. Am I correct?" The group of green clad students stared back at him, a mixture of hatred, fear, and disbelief surrounding them. "Did she tell you she claims the little Weasel is to be the mother of the baby?" he drawled. "Who among you believes this?" Not one hand rose; not one person stepped forward. Instead, the group burst into laughter at the thought. Draco Malfoy and a Weasley? Absurd. Draco raised his wand. Stepping across the room with a fury much similar to his father's when in a fit of anger, he held the wand to Neeley's throat. "I suggest this rumor be squashed. Now." She looked up into his steely, cold eyes and swallowed hard. "I tell the truth, Malfoy." She jumped as she felt the pointed tip of the wand dig into the soft flesh at the base of her neck. "Yes, Draco," she whimpered. "My apologies. I must have heard wrong." He dropped the wand and sneered. "You must have." He continued his way to his room without another look to the group. He knew full well that when Ginny started to show, the rumor would be back in force. He had to head this off before it started. First, he had to figure out how. ~*~ Neeley did not appreciate the scene in the common room one bit. She'd make sure he paid. She'd make sure he never even thought about pointing a wand at her again. She might be young, but she was just as Slytherin as he was. With shaking hands, she pulled out the small, circular disk Mr. Malfoy had given her and pointed her wand at its middle. "Neeley," came the voice from the other end. She sucked in her breath to steady her voice before speaking. "I've found out the girl's name," she told the disk. "Well? Tell me, girl! Don't keep this secret from me!" The man's anxiousness was rare but justified as Neeley took another breath. "Sir, I'm afraid if I tell you, Draco will do something. He's already threatened me tonight." "I'll take care of Draco." "Yes, Mr. Malfoy." Neeley felt a dark smile overtake her as she told the disk everything she knew. 


End file.
